Potato Flavor

Abstract

The potato is one of the most popular vegetables worldwide and is the most important vegetable crop in the United States, accounting for nearly one-third of per-capita vegetable consumption. Potatoes can be prepared in many ways, including baking, boiling, roasting, frying, steaming, and microwaving, allowing for a diversity of uses. Most people find potatoes to be an agreeable food and very few actually dislike potatoes. Potato flavor results from the combination of taste, aroma, and texture. Flavor precursors synthesized by the plant are present in raw potatoes and consist mainly of sugars, amino acids, RNA, and lipids. Plant genotype, production environment and storage environment influence the levels of these compounds and the enzymes that react with them to produce flavor compounds. During cooking, flavor precursors react to produce the Maillard reaction compounds and the sugar, lipid and RNA degradation products that contribute to flavor. The identification of major flavor compounds is important for breeders to make gains in selection for enhanced flavor.Resumen La papa es una de las hortalizas más populares en todo el mundo y es el cultivo hortícola más importante en los Estados Unidos, ocupando cerca de una tercera parte del consumo per capita de hortalizas. Las papas se pueden preparar de muchas maneras, incluyendo cocinadas, hervidas, rostizadas, fritas, al vapor, y en el horno de microondas, lo cual permite una gran diversidad de usos. La mayoría de la gente concuerda en que las papas son un alimento compatible y a muy poca gente le disgustan las papas. El sabor de la papa resulta de la combinación de sabor, aroma y textura. Los precursores del sabor sintetizados por la planta están presentes en las papas crudas y consisten principalmente de azúcares, amonoácidos, RNA, y lípidos. El genotipo de la planta, el medio ambiente en la producción y en el almacén influencian los niveles de estos compuestos y a las enzimas que reaccionan con ellos para producir los compuestos del sabor. Durante el cocimiento, los precursores del sabor reaccionan para producir los compuestos de la reacción de Maillard y para los productos de la degradación de azúcar, lípidos y RNA que contribuyen al sabor. Es importante para los fitomejoradores la identificación de los principales compuestos del sabor para mejorar en la selección de un mayor sabor.

Transcriptome of the quorum-sensing signal-degrading Rhodococcus erythropolis responds differentially to virulent and avirulent Pectobacterium atrosepticum

“…These genes are potentially involved in metabolism of sugars, amino acids, lipids and ribonucleotides, which are the compounds usually encountered in tubers (Jansky, 2010). Additional genes which exhibit a lower expression level were expected to be also involved in multiplication of R. erythropolis on potato tuber slices.…”

Stability Analysis of Agronomic Traits in Potato Cultivars of Different Origin

“…However, for table stock, stable expression of good taste should be more essential. Starch content is but one of many factors determining cooking quality of tubers (Jansky 2010).…”

Correlations among Yield, Taste, Tuber Characteristics and Mineral Contents of Potato Cultivars Grown at Different Growing Conditions

“…There is commonly held perception that tuber flavour decreases with elevated doses of nitrogen fertilizers. According to Jansky (2010), this flavour decline may be caused by an increased production of acrid tasting nitrogen compounds like amides and amines. On the other hand, the lowered Zn accumulation in tasty tubers might be a problem for organic potato growers, since tubers are believed to be a quite significant source of this element (Navarre et al, 2009).…”

“…Flavor of food is among the most important factors for consumers and yet one of the most difficult aims for breeding programs. Generally, improvement of potato tubers' flavor by breeding methods is difficult and time-consuming, because of a very complex chemistry, changes of compounds during boiling, unknown underlying genetics and environmental factors during growth and storage (Jansky, 2010).…”