To Örebro University

Literature suggests that umami, Maillard reaction, and flavor complexity could contribute to sensorial acceptability of plant-based alternatives, but that was yet to be tested. Two field studies with 612 paying customers evaluating a complete meal were conducted in an operating restaurant in Sweden. In the first study, a gray pea burger (Control) was compared to burgers with added monosodium glutamate (MSG) (Umami), grilled (Maillard), or both grilled and added MSG (Complex). In the second study, a simplified gray pea burger (Control 2) was compared to a grilled burger with MSG and aromatics (Complex 2). Check-all-that-apply (CATA) tests show that participants perceived sensory differences between the samples, but their effects in hedonic ratings were inconclusive; only the Maillard sample was significantly more liked than Control and Complex burgers in Study 1. Although limited to their variables and context, these two experiments indicate that umami, Maillard reaction, and complexity, per se, are not key factors to improve liking and willingness to buy (WTB) of plant-based dishes. These results suggest that rather than trying to emulate sensory characteristics considered associated with meat, future research could prioritize addressing cultural barriers to vegetarian food.

Among the obstacles to substituting animal-based food products with more sustainable plant-based alternatives at home and in food service is the lack of familiarity and creativity among consumers and culinary professionals. This case study describes and discusses the designing of a two-day hands-on workshop for eighteen cooks from Örebro Municipality, Sweden. In a collaborative design process, participants experimented with eight vegetable ingredients (legumes, grains and plant-based meat alternatives) and different cooking techniques (e.g. baking, grilling and frying) to create thirteen novel or adapted vegetarian dishes. The workshop incorporated sensory assessments of the plain ingredients, the cooked ingredients and the final dishes, empowering cooks as both creators and evaluators and generating valuable data for future recipe development. The resulting dishes, ranging from light to hearty and simple to complex, indicated no correlation between the number of components and overall liking, challenging the common perception that vegetarian dishes require more effort, ingredients or complexity. A follow-up questionnaire and group interview provided insights into the workshop’s impact and potential improvements. The case of this workshop sparks broader discussions about how to create dishes by taking ingredients as a starting point, and how methods from sensory science can be used to improve the flavour of vegetarian meals. It also raises questions about how researchers can design more horizontal and collaborative interactions with other actors of society – such as, in this case, cooks working in public meal services.

In this chapter, the author introduces action case research as a methodological approach within Culinary Arts and Meal Science, suggesting that it can be used to generate context-specific research ideas and questions. By using an example study of natural cider making from surplus apples in central Sweden, specifically the Bergslagen region, the author demonstrates how this methodology can serve as a precursor to hypothesising and fostering “out-of-the-box” thinking within transdisciplinary approaches. The study reveals a latent gastronomic landscape within private homes and gardens, emphasising the potential of overlooked resources. Insights into a dynamic and continuous design approach for sustainable product development are also provided. In sharing this methodology, the author seeks to inspire colleagues to explore similar approaches, which could lead to new insights and advancements in the field of Culinary Arts and Meal Science, especially regarding sustainable food systems.

The transition to more diversified protein sources presents legumes, such as peas, as excellent alternatives to animal protein. In light of this shift, understanding the sensory variation of pea genetic resources becomes crucial in broadening their appeal and promoting greater consumption. This study aimed to identify key factors influencing the sensory attributes of landrace peas, including variety (accession), location (geographical area of cultivation), and harvest year. Through a quantitative descriptive sensory analysis of six Swedish landrace pea accessions, cultivated over 1–2 years in three different Nordic countries, we analyzed the sensory attributes in detail and evaluated potential interactions between the pea accessions, their respective growing locations, and the varying harvest years. The results show that the sensory variation in the studied landrace pea accessions is primarily attributed to the chosen accession, despite the differences in location and harvest year. Notably, the results also reveal the potential impact of the location on the perceived sourness and umami taste of peas. These findings underscore the critical role of careful variety selection and breeding to enhance the sensory experience of peas, enabling the development of diverse pea-based products that cater to consumer preferences.

A plant-rich meal pattern is widely considered to be one possible solution for a shift towards a more sustainable food culture that considerably decreases food-related greenhouse gas emissions globally. The public meal, in particular school meals, can ideally become a platform for developing multisectoral cooperation through culinary action, transforming food from being a commodity to part of a strategic solution with societal outcomes. The aim of our study is to support a shift toward more sustainable meal solutions within the public meal sector. The objective is to introduce the check-all-that-apply (CATA) method in a large real-life consumer study, using only one food product, during a lunch break, and still account for the variation in perception between consumers. The objective is also to explore strategic multi-sectoral insights for introducing new foods to a larger population for a shift toward a plant-rich meal pattern. In this study, we established a cooperation between a small-sized food company, four schools and a university in Sweden. A plant-based sausage roll based on minced grey peas was developed. The likes and dislikes of 800 t(w)eens being served the grey pea roll were checked using hedonic values and CATA questions and compared with an ideal. To understand which CATA terms were persistent (meaning relevant, liked and just-about-right across consumer clusters), results including frequency scores, consistency, mean impact on liking, just-about-right scores and agglomerative hierarchical clustering were combined in an extended statistical processing. Our results show that unique/novel and natural were the only persistent CATA terms; these terms should therefore be interesting candidates for further improvement regarding classification and conceptualization of plant-based products in public meals. The CATA term vegetarian, on the other hand, can both increase and decrease liking scores.

The underlying assumption throughout this thesis is that the continuity of a cultivated diversity can be strengthened by investigating its sensory qualities and specifying particular culinary utilities of landraces and cultivars. How can a foodstuff’s sensory qualities and culinary utility be explored, tested, and refined together with the food industry and the public meal? This thesis aims to create a path toward sustainable gastronomy with greater sensory variation that originate from a cultivated diversity. The thesis bridges sensory science, culinary arts, and food design, using sensory descriptive methods with consumers as well as trained sensory panelists, consumer tests with different target groups, and a recipe-development process joined up with culinary arts and agriculture. The thesis is based on four papers. Paper One shows that cultivated diversity generates a range of flavors and textures to advance in food and cooking. Paper Two investigates the interacting influence of cultivar, place of cultivation, and year of harvest on the sensory quality of peas. In Paper Three, a recipe development process is modelled and applied to gray peas, showing how appealing plant-based products can be developed. Finally, Paper Four suggests that unique/novel and natural are promising terms to use for plant-based food products, both of which could be strengthened by elements of artisanal but not vegetarian associations. A cyclic investigation and the inclusive continual improvement of a foodstuff’s sensory qualities and culinary utility with purpose and target is proposed and applied in the culinary funnel model (Paper Three), and culinary action as a tool for multi-sectoral cooperation in Paper Four. Since sensory variation is necessary for gastronomic potential, it would be useful to perceive cultivated diversity as a fundamental quality in any cuisine. Who knows which species and cultivars might be favored in the light of climate change, unsustainable resource consumption, and a growing food demand?

The aim of this study is to apply a recipe development process designed to unfold how to start from a crop ‐ especially less known landraces and varieties ‐ and maximize its culinary utility. How can such a recipe development process be modelled? What more than the recipe itself can be obtained from the recipe development process? In this study, the objective is to create a basic recipe for grey peas that supports the crop’s sensory qualities, and test it in different food products. Using the recipe development process model, our results suggest that minced grey peas, which have authentic nutty flavours, pronounced chewing resistance and a combination of soft and hard textures, can be used to create appealing plant-based patties. When minced grey peas are fried in oil, greater taste intensity, spiciness, umami and complexity are achieved. Additional applications of minced grey peas were also identified, suggesting that the recipe development process can yield information on how to develop another food product with the same basic recipe. The recipe development process we suggest ‐ the culinary funnel ‐ can thus be used to explore the culinary possibilities of lesser known landraces and varieties.

Landraces, that is, crop and livestock not improved by formal breeding, are scarce in the industrialized world and are mainly maintained ex situ for breeding purposes. The natural biodiversity of these landraces may contribute to securing food production that can adapt to a changing climate, crop pathogens, diseases, and other agricultural challenges. In addition, landraces might also possess unique quality traits. Our aim is to take the idea of crop and livestock diversity further by connecting flavor differences of different landraces and varieties, with gastronomic applications. Do landraces provide a creative possibility of using distinct sensory characteristics to create new dishes and food products and/or to optimize recipes by finding the right variety for existing dishes and food products? This study suggests that apple, pea, pear, and poultry landraces, apart from being valuable in terms of biodiversity in sustainable food systems, also possess unique and distinct gastronomic potential. For example, citrus odors in apples, nutty taste in gray peas, astringent taste in pears, and high odor intensity of stable in poultry is of culinary relevance when working with apple juice, plant-based alternatives to meat, poached pears, and roasted rooster, respectively. To fully explore, and take advantage of, the gastronomic potential landraces possess, additional studies are needed in order to find suitable cooking methods and development of recipes.

Practical Application: Seeking to increase market interest for landraces, highlighting gastronomic values could stimulate higher demand and, in turn, contribute to larger and more resilient populations preserved in situ. Specifically, the paper is of use to (I) crop and livestock producers and food companies who wish to provide products with greater sensory variation, (II) individuals, companies, and organizations with the aim to increase landrace demand and/or preservation, and (III) breeders and genetic engineers managing genetic traits of landraces and other varieties.

Microbiological and sensory methods were used to analyze 22 soft cheeses, of which 19 were made from raw milk, one was made from both raw and pasteurized milk and two were made from pasteurized milk. Moderate correlations (r-value 0.5–0.6 and p-value <0.01–0.05) were found between the levels of Enterobacteriaceae 37°C and the intensity of the sensory characteristics “bitter”, “metallic”, “pungent”, “manure” and “ammonia”. The present study indicates that it is possible to predict high levels of Enterobacteriaceae in soft cheeses made from raw milk using only the human senses (odor and taste).