Sensory evaluation of squash (Cucurbita maxima)-fortified tart

Tart is one of the desserts that children want to eat as their snack, and is considered a famous dessert in the Philippines. Hence, this study aimed to develop tart enriched with squash (Cucurbita maxima) at CTU-Tabuelan Campus during the 2nd semester of academic year 2020-2021 as a basis for techno-guide. An experimental testing approach was used wherein the researchers manipulated one variable while controlling or randomizing the others. The recipe is based on the basic steps in the preparation and processing of a traditional tart recipe. A total of twenty-five expert panelists were Hotel and Restaurant Management Teachers and Baking Enthusiasts, and twenty-five non-expert panelists were Teachers from different Colleges of the Campus, who were considered sensory evaluators for the descriptive test and hedonic scale rating. They were randomly selected to prevent and avoid bias in the evaluation. In comparison, the preferred treatment in general was treatment 1. This generally implied that the more squash added to the tart, the more mouthwatering it looked, it tasted savory, it increased one’s appetite, it had a golden shade of yellow, and its crunchiness was pleasantly crisp. Treatment 1 was the preferred treatment in terms of color, aroma, crunchiness, taste and general acceptability. It was recommended to have additional ingredients that make it healthy and to develop a tart molder.