Evaluation of Differences among Taste Qualities of Bread Wheat Varieties Grown in Hokkaido

Abstract

The objective of this study is to clarify the relationship between wheat varieties and bread taste. Bread was produced by the no-time method using three flour products from the Hokkaido wheat varieties ‘Yumechikara’, ‘Haruyokoi’ and ‘Kitanokaori’, and a commercial strong flour product, ‘Kameriya’. The taste of the bread was evaluated by measuring the contents of various sugars, amino acids, organic acid and phosphoric acid of each crumb, by a sensory testing and a taste sensing system. The results revealed that the taste quality of the bread varied depending on the variety and flour product. ‘Yumechikara’ was the most similar to ‘Kameriya’ among the three varieties, with little bias in umami and sweetness. ‘Haruyokoi’ tended to be characterized by high free amino acid content and umami, but there was a large variation among the products. ‘Kitanokaori’ had a high maltose content in the crumb, which made the crumb sweet. The results of the component analysis and taste sensing system were not always consistent with that of sensory testing, indicating that each analysis method has its advantages and disadvantages. However, the taste sensing system was able to quantify the differences in bread taste, and when combined with sensory testing and component analysis, it enables more accurate evaluation of taste qualities.