title: Descriptive sensory analysis and free sugar contents of chestnut cultivars grown in North America.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Various chestnut (Castanea) species and cultivars are currently produced and marketed in North America including Peach, Qing, AU-Homestead, Eaton, Marrone di Castel del Rio, and Colossal. In spite of their availability in the marketplace, similarities in sensory characteristics of chestnuts, as well as their unique attributes, have not been explored. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to evaluate texture and flavor attributes of commonly grown chestnut cultivars using descriptive sensory analysis and to quantify their free sugar content by gas-liquid chromatography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-three sensory terms were used for descriptive analysis of roasted chestnuts. All but two attributes (raw impression and fermented) were common to all chestnut cultivars. Peelability, initial firmness, dissolvability, and mustard, sweet, and sour flavors varied among cultivars. Sucrose, the predominant free sugar in chestnuts, was greatest in Colossal chestnuts from California, while those of Peach had the lowest content. Glucose, fructose and maltose were also present in chestnuts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrated that cultivars of various chestnut species share several common sensory attributes, but differ in intensity ratings of six descriptors. Of these attributes, sweetness has been associated with consumer acceptance and can be promoted in the marketplace.
authors.affiliation: Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA. warmundm@missouri.edu
authors.forename: Michele R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Warmund
authors.forename: Janelle R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Elmore
authors.forename: Koushik
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Adhikari
authors.forename: Sherry
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McGraw
mesh_terms: D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000032:analysis; D004187:Disaccharides / Q000032:analysis*; D029962:Fagaceae / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development; D005511:Food Handling; D005518:Food Preferences; D006244:Hardness; D006801:Humans; D055595:Mechanical Phenomena; D009005:Monosaccharides / Q000032:analysis*; D009656:North America; D009754:Nuts / Q000737:chemistry*; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D012677:Sensation; D013045:Species Specificity; D013649:Taste
chemical_list: D019422:Dietary Sucrose; D004187:Disaccharides; D009005:Monosaccharides