Sensory evaluation of some fish sauces and soy sauce by multivariate analysis

A fish sauce (FMS) prepared on a test plant scale from gutted frigate mackerel was compared in the sensory evaluation among some Japanese-made fish sauces (shottsuru, ishiru made from Japanese common squid, ishiru from sardine (IS)), some foreign-made fish sauces (nampla, nuoc mam, patis and yuiru (Yui)) and soy sauce (SS). The authers carried on examination for the similarity and the difference of color, taste and flavor among the samples using by multivariate analysis methods (cluster and principal components analysis) and investigated the relationship between sensory scores, color and chemical components of the samples. According to cluster analysis, FMS had low similarity to IS and Yui while FMS had high similarity to SS. There were some differences in depth of color, strength of taste and heaviness of flavor between FMS and SS while there were some differences in saltiness and taste balance and agreeability of flavor between FMS and another fish sauces by principal component analysis. The depth of color, saltiness, taste balance and agreeability of flavor were correlated with L* value, salt content and pH, respectively.