Sensory profiling of three fish species caught in the Southern Adriatic Sea.

Objective - To develop and compare the sensory profiles obtained in two seasons for European hake (Merluccius merluccius), chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus), and horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) caught off the Apulia coast (Southern Italy). \n \nMethodology - Two batches per species (25 fish each) were obtained in July and October 2005 for European hake (EHK) and chub mackerel (CMK), in July 2005 and March 2006 for horse mackerel (HMK). Fish were eviscerated, frozen, and stored at -20°C +/- 2°C over 3 to 5 weeks prior to sensory analysis. This was performed on skinned fillets individually cooked at 71°C core temperature in a preheated (120°C) forced air convection oven, in such a way so as to prevent each fillet from both drying and simmering in its own fluids. The trained descriptive analysis panel (n = 10) evaluated samples on a 10-cm unstructured line scale anchored at both ends. Panellists used a previously developed ballot containing the following attributes: whiteness, visual flakiness, overall odour intensity, overall flavour intensity, sour, salty, stringiness, moistness, adhesiveness, tenderness, chewiness, meltability. \n \nSummary of the main results - As to the appearance, EHK were judged to be whiter and less visually flaky than CMK and HMK, independently of catch season. EHK were also characterised by the lowest intensity of both odour and flavour. At the other end of the spectrum lay fall CMK, while winter HMK were in-between. As to the basic tastes, summer CMK flesh was perceived as the sourest, EHK as the least acidic. CMK, both catch season, and winter HMK were significantly saltier than EHK, especially the fall samples. \nIt was in the textural attributes, though, that differences among species became wider. EHK, both catch season, were at the lower end of the spectrum as to stringiness and adhesiveness, at the upper end as to moistness, tenderness, chewiness, and meltability. CMK, both catch season, and summer HMK were “sensorily antithetical” to EHK, whereas, as already observed for odour and flavour, winter HMK displayed intermediate textural properties.