A. N. Nilsen, M. Rannem, M. Hersleth, Ø. Ueland, M. Rødbotten
Matforsk AS (Norwegian Food Research Institute)

A common design in sensory analysis is a monadic presentation of samples; one item at a time. This is, however, in contrast to a normal eating situation where a meal consists of more than one item. A fish meal in Norway will typically contain fish, vegetables, potatoes and a sauce.  

The main objective of this study has been to examine the sensory interaction of salmon and sauce in different eating contexts. The seasoning of the sauce is often the main contributor to the food-food interaction with salmon.

One of each basic tastes (sweet, salt, sour, bitter and umami) in two different levels + reference sample were mixed into a plain white sauce. The salmon were tasted either by sequential tasting (first sensory profile of salmon, then profile of sauce and then profile of salmon and sauce) or by mixed tasting (sensory profile of salmon and then both sauce and salmon in mouth). 13 sensory attributes were used to evaluate 22 food-food combinations in replicates.   

Results from the descriptive analyse showed differences in how the basic tastes in the sauce influence the flavour of the salmon. The result gives practical relevance when creating a meal with salmon. Knowledge of how each basic taste affects the flavour of salmon can be used to design meals with known sensory properties.