SENSORY LEXICON FOR MANGO AS AFFECTED BY CULTIVARS AND STAGES OF RIPENESS

ABSTRACTA lexicon consisting of 20 flavor attributes and 11 texture attributes was developed by a highly trained descriptive panel to describe sensory characteristics of nine cultivars of ripe and green mangoes grown in Thailand. Results showed that the attributes were able to describe great variation both in flavor and texture characteristics among samples. Principal component analysis grouped the attributes into six key dimensions that explained 73.3% of total variability of all mango samples. However, all the attributes were needed to explain the complete variation among samples. Attributes such as mango identity, woody, various fruit notes, floral/perfumy, earthy, sweet, mealy, fiber amount and size, slickness, chemical, peel‐like, sour, bitter, piney and spicy differentiated among cultivars. Other attributes such as viney, green, firmness, cohesiveness of mass, astringent, particle amount and size, slimy, fermented, animalic, pulpy residue and starchy explained changes in sensory characteristics occurring during ripening of the fruit.PRACTICAL APPLICATIONMango is growing in popularity around the world. Mango cultivars vary greatly in aroma, flavor and texture, especially among the main types, ripe and green mango. This research provided information on how sensory characteristics, especially flavor and texture, differed among mango cultivars and how those characteristics changed during ripening of the fruit. This information could be useful for mango producers in selecting highly desirable traits while slowly eliminating less desirable traits of certain cultivar, and useful for mango exporters in selecting cultivars that will be successful in their target markets. The lexicon could also be used for future sensory research on mangoes.