Consumer sensory evaluation of aftertaste intensity and liking of spicy paneer cheese

Summary Capsaicin creates a spicy, burning, sensation that lingers. Thus, an increased understanding of spicy aftertaste and its relationship to consumer liking is of interest. We aimed to evaluate aftertaste intensity and liking of spicy paneer cheese (0, 3.75, 7.5 and 30 ppm capsaicin) by consumers (n = 79) every minute for 15 min. Influences of consumer consumption patterns on spicy aftertaste were also explored. Significant differences (P < 0.05) were observed among samples, across aftertaste time periods (beginning, middle and end), and within consumer consumption categories. In general, the more capsaicin in a sample, the longer the sensation lasted, with a more intense spicy and overall aftertaste. Results showed consumers in different categorisation groups rated intensity of the samples differently, and reported liking the 30 ppm capsaicin paneer sample differently. Additionally, a consumer’s spice level preference was shown to not affect the time to abatement of the spicy aftertaste intensity perceived by consumers.