Flavor and Aroma Quality of Fish Sauce Made from Underutilized Parts of Skipjack Tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) and Sensory Acceptance by Panelists with Different Food Cultural Backgrounds

Similarities and differences as a result of both sensory evaluation and chemical analysis were observed between skipjack tuna sauce and the commercial sauces. The total concentration of the free amino acid (FAA) in skipjack tuna sauce was very close to that of the other two commercial sauces although it varied among individual FFAs. The three samples were similar in color intensity before the analysis but skipjack tuna sauce turned darker after exposure to air. Preference test result for skipjack tuna sauce was above neutral on a hedonic rating scale of 1-9 based on the ratings of three groups of panelists. The Japanese panelists rated the skipjack tuna sauce with an average score, equivalent to "moderately like", for its smell. 2-Furanmethanol, which has a pleasant aromatic odor and turns dark brown or black upon exposure to air, was the most abundant volatile compound in skipjack tuna sauce; the area ratio was far higher in the sample than that reported in the other fish sauces. The low molecular acids were hardly detected; the presence of the high molecular ones was apparent in skipjack tuna sauce and was thought to be partly the reason for the difference. The differences in taste and smell between skipjack tuna sauce and the commercial sauces did not affect the acceptance of the skipjack tuna sauce by the panelists.