Green and white asparagus were subjected to descriptive analysis, and
resultant descriptors tested for effectiveness in describing and disti
nguishing between the two asparagus types. The effect(s) of 5 harvest
times and 14 days of refrigerated storage on descriptor perception was
investigated. Eleven descriptors, that described aroma (sweet potato,
grassy and sulfury), flavor (sweet pea, sweet corn, bitter, and spina
ch) and aftertaste (buttery, brothy, meaty and grassy) of the two aspa
ragus types, were used for the freshly harvested samples. One addition
al term, toughness, was added for stored product evaluation: Based on
principal component analysis, it was found that green asparagus was as
sociated with grassy and sulfury aromas; bitter and spinach flavors; a
nd grassy aftertaste, while white asparagus was distinguished by sweet
potato aroma; sweet corn flavor, buttery and brothy aftertaste, and t
oughness descriptors. Harvest and cold storage effects as determined b
y repeated measures analysis were generally asparagus type dependent a
nd are discussed.