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Sensory characterization of two California‐grown avocado varieties ( Persea americana Mill.) over the harvest season by descriptive analysis and consumer tests
Author(s) -
Hausch Bethany J.,
Arpaia Mary Lu,
CampisiPinto Salvatore,
Obenland David M.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of food science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1750-3841
pISSN - 0022-1147
DOI - 10.1111/1750-3841.15867
Subject(s) - persea , astringent , flavor , quantitative descriptive analysis , taste , horticulture , sensory analysis , dry season , species richness , biology , food science , ecology
In this work, descriptive analysis (DA) and consumer panels were conducted on “Hass” and “3‐29‐5” (GEM ® ) avocados, grown in southern California. Both panels encompassed at least five time points across the 2019 harvest season. The DA panel identified and evaluated overall richness, creamy, smooth, watery, oily, sweet, bitter, umami, salty, astringent, buttery, nutty, and green. The texture attributes received the highest scores in both “Hass” and “3‐29‐5.” Both varieties increased in richness, creaminess, and oiliness at harvests 5 and 6. The consumer panel found that “3‐29‐5” showed more changes in its eating experience over the season than “Hass,” which agreed with dry weight data collected in a simultaneous analytical study. Correspondence analysis indicated that “Hass” samples had a consistent sensory profile over the harvest season, whereas “3‐29‐5” changed substantially, becoming more closely associated with a positive eating experience late in the harvest season. This is the first work to characterize avocado flavor over the harvest season using both trained and consumer sensory panels. Practical Application Many aspects of avocado were found to have some impact on flavor, but textural properties were by far the most important in determining how well the fruit was liked. This information will be useful in future taste evaluations of avocado and the ongoing development of new avocado varieties.