Culinary Treatments Affect Sensory Attributes and Consumer Preference for Sweet Potato Cultivars

Food quality and taste preference are important factors influencing the production and adoption of sweet potato (Ipomea batatas L.) cultivars in a specific growing region. There is very limited published information available on the sensory attributes and quality profile of sweet potato cultivars grown in Canada, even though there is a substantial increase in both production and consumption over the last few years. This study analyzed five different culinary treatments on sweet potato sensory attributes along with taste preferences. Oven-baked, boiled, fried, steamed and mashed culinary treatments were found significantly different (P < 0.05) for mealiness, sweetness and for taste profiles. Sweet potato cultivars were significant different (P < 0.05) for taste and sweetness attributes. A non-significant difference was recorded for interaction between culinary treatments and the tested cultivars for bitterness, mealiness, sweetness and taste profile. Expert panel preferences significantly differed (P < 0.05) for boiled, fried and steamed culinary treatments for tested cultivars, whereas, no difference was observed for oven-baked and mashed sweet potatoes. Boiled, fried, steamed and mashed culinary treatments for ‘Covington’ were most liked by the panelists, followed by ‘Radiance’. These sensory analysis and preferences of tested sweet potato cultivars can provide a reference for the food processing industry in preparing sweet potatoes for Canadian consumer consumption and the study outcomes can be used to guide sweet potato variety development for specific quality traits.