Processing Condition Effects on Sensory Profiles of Kombucha through Sensory Descriptive Analysis

Kombucha is a fermented and often sweetened tea beverage that has become increasingly popular in the U.S. last decade. While it infused with fruits vegetables to enhance aroma flavor, unflavored kombucha itself distinctive sensory attributes influenced by multiple factors, including initial type, sugar concentration, fermentation temperature. How these different factors affect final flavor of been underexplored scientific literature. In this study, processing treatments, type (black green), concentration (63 g/L 94 g/L), temperature (21 °C 25.5 °C) were combined factorial design produce experimental (K = 8). Panelists (N 7) completed full Descriptive Analysis (DA) evaluation kombucha, which they defined 63 attributes. MANOVA identified 43 differed among samples due temperature, although surprisingly tea, sugar, did not interact significantly. Overall, teas at lower or higher sweeter, thicker, associated fruit-related aromatics; less fermented, vegetal, yeasty aromas, fizzy mouthfeels, sour bitter tastes. Surprisingly, played only weak role flavor.