organoleptic eValuation of slaVonian Home - made Kulen from BlacK slaVonian or WHite pigs

Black Slavonian pig used to be the most widespread breed in Slavonia, and it was mainly used for the production of fat and authentic meat products such as kulen – a slowly fermented and drycured spicy sausage stuffed in pork blind gut. Nowadays, this breed is rare, and kulen and other meat products are mostly produced from the meat of more productive white pig breeds. Still, the products of local breeds and sustainable production systems of breeding have been raising again an increased interest of the European public and consumers, and here as well have been reviving the breeding of Black Slavonian pig for the production of autochthonous meat products. In this work, organoleptic traits of Slavonian home-made kulen produced from the meat of Black Slavonian breed and its crossbreeds or modern white breeds and pig crossbreeds were evaluated. The evaluation was performed by assessors with previous experience in assessing kulen. Surface appearance, surface smell, texture, inner smell, cross section form, palatability, taste and aroma, and aftertaste, were evaluated on the scale from 15. Based on mean score of individual traits and the coefficients of importance of certain trait, the total quality score of kulen was calculated. The comparison of results of organoleptic trait score was tested by nonparametric statistic and the total score was tested by Student ttest. Slavonian kulen made from Black Slavonian or modern white breeds and pig crossbreeds was similarly scored for most organoleptic traits, as well as for the total quality. In conditions of performed testing there hasn’t been determined the influence of genotype of pigs on organoleptic traits of Slavonian kulen. However, for acquiring better understandings of organoleptic quality and other traits of meat and products from Black Slavonian pigs, further researches are needed, and the breed itself and its products should have an additional market promotion, development and preservation. This could be, by itself, the best way for longterm preservation and survival of Black Slavonian breed.