Some physico-chemical qualities and acceptability of fermented curry paste

The effects of lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus bulgaricus) inoculation on the sensory attributes and consumers acceptance of fermented curry paste compared with uncultured sample were assessed. pH, titratable acidity (TA) and color changes, during four-month storage were monitored. Hedonic test was utilized to evaluate consumer perception and acceptability of fermented and ordinary curry pastes. Rapid pH drop was observed in inoculated sample with Lb. plantarum presenting better performance than the Lb. bulgaricus. Titratable acidity increased significantly (p<0.05) in both fermented samples due to production of up to 1.7 % lactic acid which leads to a decrease in pH from 5.5 to 3.8. Color analysis showed in fermented samples, the lightness (L) and yellowness (b*) increased significantly while redness (a*) decreased, concurring with the consumer preference of fermented samples for color attribute. The consumer survey and sensory evaluation results showed there were no significant difference (p>0.05) in most of the attributes of original recipe and fermented curry paste except for color and sweetness. In summary, this study showed fermented curry paste with Lb. plantarum and Lb. bulgaricus exhibited new sensory attributes encouraging acceptability by consumers.