Sensory analysis of bitterness and astringency of infusions of Yerba Mate

CALVIÑO, A.M.; TAMASI, O.P.; DRUNDAY, F.; COSSALTER, R.; GARRIDO, D.

Recent Contributions to Sensory Analysis of Foods

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Lugar: Kerala, India; Año: 2012; p. 131 - 150

Infusions of Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguariensis) are consumed by their stimulating and energizing properties, as well as for other health beneficial properties. This chapter reviews the available scientific literature related to the perception of bitter taste and astringency and emphasizes the analysis of these two sensory properties inherent to the infusions of Yerba Mate. The stimulus-response relationships for perceived magnitudes of bitterness and astringency of infusions of Yerba Mate may be obtained by magnitude estimation. Power functions were found with an exponent less than unity. This means that the perceived intensity of both attributes increase by less than the rate of increase in herbaceous material present in the infusion. The dynamic profiles of bitterness and astringency made by a panel of trained assessors could determine that the kinetics of bitterness of different types of Yerba Mate vary in maximum intensity (Imax), duration (Tdur) and area