Organoleptic properties of functional powdered drink products based on palm sugar

Abstract

This study aimed to characterize the organoleptic properties of functional powdered drinks based on palm sugar. The drinks were prepared with palm sugar as the main matrix and spices in several concentrations as additional flavour. The spices were cinnamon, clove, lemongrass, red ginger and ginger. Type and concentration of the spices greatly affected the sensory properties and hedonic level of the drink products. In general, panellists preferred products with darker brown colour and mild spice flavour. Some spices, such as cinnamon and lemongrass increased the brown colour intensity. Among all tested samples, only lemongrass and red ginger flavored palm sugar drinks were liked by panelists for all studied parameters (colour, aroma and taste). Ginger flavored samples also got relatively high preference score for almost all sensory categories. However, the taste of ginger was found to suppress the unique sweet taste of the palm sugar. Therefore, special attention should be made to the amount of added ginger to preserve the distinctive flavour of palm sugar.