Morpho-biological and sensorial quality evaluation of chestnut cultivars in Aosta Valley (Italy)

In the Valle d'Aosta, a region situated in the extreme North-West of Italy, the chestnut tree is a typical feature of the vegetation and central to the local culture. As part of the EU Leader+ program, the current state of chestnut stands in this area was studied. A number of surveys were carried out and many trees to recover were identified. Sensory analyses were performed on the fresh, boiled and roasted fruits in order to describe the organoleptic characteristics of 18 chestnut cultivars. Sensory evaluation was carried out according to the Quantitative Descriptive Analysis method (Meilgaard et al., 1999; Stone et al., 1985) by a group of 10-12 panelists in several tasting sessions. In each session 3-4 samples of fresh or cooked nuts were presented to tasters and the sensory evaluation was recorded using report forms especially drawn up for the test. The sensory profiles of the cultivars under examination were compiled. The most effective descriptors of the fresh fruit were crunchiness and bitterness, while for the cooked chestnuts the ease of peeling, seed color, firmness, elasticity and sweetness were important parameters. The raw chestnut samples were similar to one another in terms of characteristics while some cultivars displayed positive aromatic traits detectable with greater intensity after baking. The tasters preferred the baked chestnuts of cv Murelin, but, in general, the judges did not express a strong preference. In a small village in Valle d’Aosta, in hedonistic tests conducted on a large and representative group of consumers, the two cultivars Miaie and Bounente were both appreciated in equal measure.