Sensory characterization and gastronomic evaluation of beet kvass produced with different starter cultures

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Süren T.

International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science, cilt.45, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)

Özet

Beet kvass, a traditional Eastern European fermented beverage, represents an emerging product at the intersection of functional food science and gastronomy. Despite growing interest in its gastronomic potential, the sensory implications of different traditional starter cultures on consumer hedonic responses and perceived sensory intensity remain unexplored. This exploratory study evaluated the hedonic acceptance and sensory intensity of beet kvass produced with three starter cultures — rye sourdough bread, yogurt whey, and kefir — under controlled traditional household-style conditions. Sixteen panelists assessed the samples using 5-point hedonic and intensity scales, complemented by open-ended qualitative responses. Friedman tests with Bonferroni-adjusted Dunn post-hoc tests were applied; Kendall's W was reported as a concordance and effect size measure. Among hedonic parameters, only mouthfeel differed significantly (p = 0.005; W = 0.328), with the kefir-based sample rated lower than both the yogurt whey (p = 0.025) and rye bread (p = 0.037) samples. Color (p = 0.003; W = 0.356) and appearance (p = 0.002; W = 0.377) also differed significantly, with the rye bread sample rated higher than kefir. Earthy aroma, fermented taste, and earthy taste reached Friedman significance but showed no pairwise differences after Bonferroni correction. Open-ended responses highlighted the visual appeal of the rye bread sample and the favorable flavor balance of the yogurt whey sample. These findings suggest that starter culture selection may influence the visual profile and mouthfeel of beet kvass and demonstrate the value of a mixed-methods sensory design integrating quantitative scaling with qualitative consumer feedback—an approach with clear gastronomic and product-development relevance that contributes to the growing body of research on fermented functional beverages.