Better selection of chestnut cultivars: experimenting the sensory characterization of the Marrone chestnuts compared to the “ Chataigne ” chestnuts

Due to their health benefits, the interest in chestnuts is increasingly evident from consumers, who also greatly appreciate their organoleptic taste. For this reason, it is of great importance to recognize chestnuts as valuable from a sensorial point of view. In this study, Castanea sativa nuts from Italy ( Marrone vs. “ Chataigne ” cultivars) are evaluated for sensory traits by an expert panel to accurately evaluate their sensory profiles. The Marrone cv nut is suitable for the fresh market and for confectionery like marron glacé due to the large size of the nuts (in this study, average volume: 16,630 mm 3 ), the ease with which the pell can be removed (in this sensorial analysis, average value: 9.1, on a scale of 0–10), the aroma of chestnut (in this sensorial analysis, average value: 9.0, on a scale of 0–10) and the intensity of the flavor (in this sensorial analysis, average value: 9.1, on a scale of 0–10). On the other hand, “ Chataigne ” nuts are elongated and have an inner pell that penetrates deep into the pulp, sometimes even splitting it: this often makes them difficult to peel; they are smaller and generally cheaper than Marrone chestnuts. For these reasons, “ Chataigne ” chestnuts are preferred for secondary products such as jam, chestnut purée, and flour. The experiment here presented had the aim of testing a procedure to characterize sensorial attributes of Marrone compared to “ Chataigne ”. The results obtained demonstrate the suitability of the proposed sensory procedure, also opening the way to extend its use to the characterization of the different Marrone cultivars.