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The phenolics of ciders: Bitterness and astringency
Author(s) -
Lea Andrew G. H.,
Arnold Gillian M.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.2740290512
Subject(s) - chemistry , proanthocyanidin , taste , food science , sugar , wine , wine tasting , bitter taste , ethanol , biochemistry , polyphenol , antioxidant
The bitterness and astringency of defined procyanidin fractions from bittersweet English ciders were assessed using a paired‐comparison tasting technique. The results demonstrate that, while no one procyanidin can be uniquely identified with bitterness or astringency, bitterness is associated with oligomeric procyanidins reaching a maximum with the epicatechin tetramer whereas astringency is characteristic of higher‐molecular‐weight procyanidins. The effect of presentation media on taste response was also studied. High sugar and buffer strength suppressed the perceived bitterness, whereas ethanol increased bitterness but simultaneously decreased astringency. It is shown that the observed taste differences between two bittersweet ciders and the taste‐modifying effect of ethanol can be explained satisfactorily by current theories of taste.