EVALUATION OF THE SENSORY QUALITY OF AKARA (FRIED COWPEA PASTE) BY TEENAGE CONSUMERS

Cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata) are a nutritious legume, but their consump tion in the U.S, is limited by the lack of convenience and innovative forms of use. Akara is a popular West African food made from deep-fat fried cowpea paste and has potential for extending the use of dry cowp eas in U.S. markets. Acceptance tests involving 122 Georgia teenagers were conducted to assess their response to akara. Akara made from deco rticated seeds was more acceptable than akara made from nondecorticate d seeds. Akara was most,acceptable to males, blacks, and to those who had completed nine or more grades in school. The product was more like ly to be consumed at a restaurant or cafeteria than at home or at a fa st food establishment. These findings indicate that akara has potentia l for success in the fried food market and could be targeted toward ce rtain segments of the teenage population.