Table 1.
Descriptors and definitions used to explain sensory characteristics of the fermented pastes.
| Descriptors | Abbreviations | Meanings of the descriptors | Reference/standards used |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appearance | |||
| Brown | Brown | Intensity of brown color of the fried pastes | Color wheel |
| Yellow | Yellow | Intensity of the yellow color of the fried pastes | Color wheel |
| Fried egg-like | EggL | Appearance associated with fried egg | Fried egg |
| Chitumbuwa-like | ChituL | Appearance associated with a local snack, chitumbuwa, made from deep frying maize flour batter | Chitumbuwa |
| Mandazi-like | MandL | Appearance associated with local fritters, mandazi, made from deep frying wheat flour batter | Mandazi |
| Aroma/odors | |||
| Raw soybean odor | RawS | Characteristic soybean odor strong in soymilk made from raw soybeans hydrated in cold water | Raw soymilk |
| Roasted soybean aroma | RoastS | Aroma associated with roasted soybean | Crushed roasted soybean |
| Burnt roasted soybean odor | BRoastS | Odor associated with burnt roasted soybean | Crushed burnt roasted soybean |
| Roasted maize aroma | RoastM | Aroma associated with roasted dried maize | Crushed roasted maize |
| Burnt roasted maize odor | BRoastM | Odor associated with burnt roasted dried maize | Crushed burnt roasted maize |
| Soaked burnt roasted maize odor | SBRoastM | Odor associated with soaked burnt roasted dried maize | Soaked burnt roasted maize |
| Chitumbuwa aroma | ChituA | Aroma associated with a local snack, chitumbuwa, made from deep frying maize flour batter | Chitumbuwa |
| Mandazi aroma | MandA | Aroma associated with local fritters, mandazi, made from deep frying bread flour batter | Mandazi |
| Chigumuyoyo aroma | Chigumu | Aroma associated with a local snack, chigumuyoyo, made from baking maize flour batter | Chigumuyoyo |
| Fried egg aroma | EggA | Aroma associated with fried egg | Fried egg |
| Fermented aroma | FermA | Aroma associated with fermented cereals | Sugar solution (20%) fermented for 24 h by 1.5 g yeast. |
| Matsukwa odor | Matsukwa | Odor associated with water for soaking degermed maize | Water from degermed maize soaked for 2 days |
| Kondoole aroma | Kondoole | Aroma associated with fermented cassava, kondoole | Fermented cassava |
| Thobwa aroma | Thobwa | Aroma associated with a local fermented beverage “thobwa” | Thobwa |
| Chambiko aroma | Chambiko | Aroma associated with fermented milk, chambiko | Commercially available Chambiko' |
| Fermented beans aroma | FBeans | Aroma associated with fermented kidney beans | Cooked beans fermented for 24 h |
| Mafuta a chiwisi odor | Chiwisi | Odor associated with partially heated cooking oil | Soybean cooking oil heated at 100°C for 2 min |
| Rancid odor | Rancid | Odor associated with rancid oil | Soybean cooking oil reused more than three times |
| Texture | |||
| Softness | Soft | Amount of force necessary to compress the sample when pressed between fingers | No standard |
| Easiness to break | Brittle | How easy it was to break the sample (brittle) | Toasted bread, intensity = 15 |
| Surface roughness | Rough | Irregularities on the surface or not a smooth surface | Custard pudding = 1 intensity |
| Graininess | Grainy | Size of the grains seen inside the sample when broken | Maize and soy grains; whole = 15 and half = 7 intensity |
| Sogginess | Soggy | Tendency of the sample to absorb oil as observed by pressing the sample between white paper | Comparison of amount of oil absorbed on white paper |
| Taste | |||
| Sourness | Sour | Taste sensation typical of organic acids | Citric acid; 0.05% = 2 intensity, 0.2% = 15 intensity |
| Sweetness | Sweet | Taste sensation typical of sucrose solution | Sucrose solution; 2% = 2 intensity and 16% = 15 intensity |
| Saltiness | Salty | Taste sensation typical of sodium chloride | Sodium chloride; 0.2% = 2 intensity and 1.5% = 15 intensity |
| Bitterness | Bitter | Taste sensation typical of caffeine and quinine | 0.01% quinine sulfate solution |
| Umami | Umami | Taste sensation typical of monosodium glutamate (MSG) | MSG solution; 0.3% = 3 intensity, 0.7% = 7 intensity |
| Aftertaste | AfterT | Taste lingering on tongue after sample is removed | Similar to unripe banana taste |