Sensory Evaluation
Arbi Masala
Arbi Masala is a gluten-free delicious Indian side dish. I made this dish by using Taro which is the staple ingredient of Nigeria. they eat a lot of Taro. This ingredient is completely new for me.
Note:- Remember to cook the taro roots till it gets soft and mushy.
Sensory Evaluation
How does this appeal to you
According to my perspective, this dish looks beautiful. As the color of the dish is very attractive, one would love to give it a try. Moreover, the aroma is similar to Indian spices as I used them. if I talk about raw taro, it is Gluey at the time of boiling it. Taro flavor is made from taro root. It is a purple-like ube flavor (made from a different root) but has a different taste. It tastes a bit like nuts, a bit like vanilla, a bit like sweet potatoes, and has a floral taste to it. It is a very pleasant flavor, perfect for ice cream, bubble tea, and even halo-halo.
The five basic tastes —
Salty:- This dish contains moderate saltiness, Do not excess the salt otherwise it would destroy the complete dish, and add salt according to your taste. I observed no salt in raw Taro root.
Sweet:- I have not added sugar in this. So, the sweetness is very minor near, a bit like sweet potatoes. Taro root has a smooth, starchy texture and mildly sweet taste.
Sour:- Yes, there was sourness in this dish as I had added dried mango powder.
Bitter:- No, this dish does not contain any bitter flavor,
umami:- It has savouriness due to the addition of garlic, Kasuri methi, and asafoetida. Moreover, I have added asafoetida because it is a good source of umami flavor and the best ingredient for the digestion of food
Use your sense of Taste.what do you observe with each?
Smell:- I smelled the aroma of Indian spices and herbs. The aroma was fantastic very similar to the fresh aroma from the gardens.
Sight:- the dish visually looks beautiful with the texture of yellow colour and red colour from roughly chopped tomatoes. with a little bit of green colour of Kasuri methi. Moreover, the green chilies on the side are a great combination with this dish.
Hearing:- During the time when I tasted it, when I fried taro roots, I heard crunchiness and sizzling of Taro roots.
Touch:- When the dish is prepared the Taro roots were soft and juicy. After deep frying the Taro roots:- the touch was crispy with the internal juiciness of the boiled taro roots.
Are there relatable or similar flavors that you detect? “Tastes like…..”
At first, it was difficult to detect the flavors but. I found that its flavor, color, and texture are very similar to sweet potato or jicama potato of Mexico.
How is this food unique?
This food is not that much unique in 2021, But if I talk about the 18th century, it was not preferred for eating purposes in my local region of Ludhiana in India. I myself did not try Taro root in my life and it is not been eaten in my family till now. Therefore, it is a completely new food for me that I have not tried yet.
What did you learn about your palate?
In reality, my palate is very sensitive to flavors and aromas. I could feel the taste of the dish through the aroma and my eyes before tasting it. But, still, I prefer all of my complete senses to absorb the right evaluation of the food.
Did you enjoy this food?
Yes, I enjoyed it a lot because this dish was fulfilling all the flavors and tastes. After the preparation and sensory evaluation, I had eaten this dish with my family. My family was also surprised by the taste of Taro roots. Even when I deep fried it. I have tasted it, the texture was was crispy and the color was golden brown with a beautiful aroma.
Would you eat it again? Why or why not?
Absolutely, I would love to eat this dish again because it carries the exact taste, delightfully complex, and desirable flavor combination. which I was looking for and surprisingly, I found it after making this blog.
Are there certain flavours you find more or less appealing?
Yes, I believe, I should had used less quantity of dried mango powder in this recipe as it has a little bit of overpowering effect in this dish. I would add lemon juice in place of dried mango powder, it might work best.
How has this experience changed the way in which you will taste, analyse and use foods in your cooking.
This experience has opened my eyes and helped me learn how to evaluate the taste and flavor of the dish in an exact manner. Next time, not only I judge the salt and sweetness of the food but also I would talk about other senses and flavors of the dish.
