Giuseppe Zeppa1, Marta Bertolino, Luca Rolle. 1. Dipartimento di Valorizzazione e Protezione Risorse Agroforestali-Settore Microbiologia e Industrie Agrarie, Università degli Studi di Torino, Turin, Italy. giuseppe.zeppa@unito.it
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Polenta is a porridge-like dish, generally made by mixing cornmeal with salt water and stirring constantly while cooking over a low heat. It can be eaten plain, straight from the pan, or topped with various foods (cheeses, meat, sausages, fish, etc.). It is most popular in northern Italy but can also be found in Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Argentina and other countries in Eastern Europe and South America. Despite this diffusion, there are no data concerning the sensory characteristics of this product. A research study was therefore carried out to define the lexicon for a sensory profile of polenta and relationships with corn cultivars. RESULTS: A lexicon with 13 sensory parameters was defined and validated before references were determined. After panel training, the sensory profiles of 12 autochthonous maize cultivars were defined. CONCLUSION: The results of this research highlighted that quantitative descriptive analysis can also be used for the sensory description of polenta, and that the defined lexicon can be used to describe the sensory qualities of polenta for both basic research, such as maize selection, and product development.
BACKGROUND: Polenta is a porridge-like dish, generally made by mixing cornmeal with salt water and stirring constantly while cooking over a low heat. It can be eaten plain, straight from the pan, or topped with various foods (cheeses, meat, sausages, fish, etc.). It is most popular in northern Italy but can also be found in Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Argentina and other countries in Eastern Europe and South America. Despite this diffusion, there are no data concerning the sensory characteristics of this product. A research study was therefore carried out to define the lexicon for a sensory profile of polenta and relationships with corn cultivars. RESULTS: A lexicon with 13 sensory parameters was defined and validated before references were determined. After panel training, the sensory profiles of 12 autochthonous maize cultivars were defined. CONCLUSION: The results of this research highlighted that quantitative descriptive analysis can also be used for the sensory description of polenta, and that the defined lexicon can be used to describe the sensory qualities of polenta for both basic research, such as maize selection, and product development.
Authors: Pedro Revilla; Mara Lisa Alves; Violeta Andelković; Carlotta Balconi; Isabel Dinis; Pedro Mendes-Moreira; Rita Redaelli; Jose Ignacio Ruiz de Galarreta; Maria Carlota Vaz Patto; Sladana Žilić; Rosa Ana Malvar Journal: Front Nutr Date: 2022-01-07