A study in the Journal of Food Science examines the sensory differences among eight different pecan cultivars in raw and roasted forms. The cultivars—Pawnee, Witte, Kanza, Major, Lakota, Giles, Maramec, and Chetopa—were collected from two growing seasons (2013 and 2014) and evaluated separately. Trained panelists evaluated each cultivar from each season in raw and roasted forms, measuring intensities of 20 flavor attributes using descriptive analysis.
The researchers found that the intensities of 10 of the 20 flavor attributes were higher for the roasted pecans across all cultivars. These included pecan ID, overall nutty, nutty-woody, nutty-grainlike, nutty-buttery, brown, caramelized, roasted, overall sweet, and sweet. The cultivars exhibited significant differences from one another for eight attributes: pecan ID, nutty-buttery, caramelized, acrid, woody, oily, astringent, and bitter. Each of the cultivars displayed unique flavor profiles with some demonstrating extremes of certain attributes, for example, the high astringency of Lakota or the buttery characteristics of Pawnee.
The researchers concluded that the data may assist pecan growers in understanding how the roasting process changes the flavor of pecan cultivars. In addition, it shows which cultivars have similar flavors, which have flavor defects, and which have unique flavors that can be valuable to manufacturers or consumers. Understanding the sensory profiles of the pecans will assist in the reduction of product waste, the increase of consumer application, and the economic growth of the pecan industry.
