Sensory Profiles and Consumer Acceptance of New Culinary Sorghum Varieties in Cooked Form

Despite growing interest in sorghum as a nutritious and sustainable grain, the use of sorghum grain for direct human consumption in the United States remains limited, partly due to its less desirable sensory characteristics compared to more common cereal crops. A new breeding program was initiated in Nevada in 2017 to focus on improving the culinary qualities of sorghum. This study aimed to investigate consumer (n = 220) responses using 6 hedonic ratings and 19 sensory attribute intensities for nine cooked sorghum grain samples (seven new breeding lines and two hybrid controls). The results showed that the majority of samples received positive hedonic scores (>5.0, 9-point hedonic scale) for “overall liking” and the liking of overall aroma, taste, texture, aftertaste, and mouthfeel. The predominant sensory attributes (intensities > 4.0, 0–10 line scale) included four aromas (starchy, earthy, nutty, fresh), one taste (bland), and three textures (residual particles, hardness, roughness). Pearson’s correlation analysis showed that consumer overall liking was positively associated with the liking of overall aroma, taste, texture, aftertaste, and mouthfeel, as well as perceived intensity of fresh aroma and sweet taste. In contrast, overall liking was negatively associated with the intensities of earth, grassy, and musty aromas; bitter and astringent flavor; and hardness, residual particles, and roughness texture. Among the nine samples, LUB24102, LUB24112, and LUB24107 were the three most preferred, whereas UC24007 received the lowest overall liking score. This study is the first to incorporate consumer input to evaluate these newly developed sorghum varieties in cooked form. The findings provide a foundation for ongoing culinary sorghum breeding to develop new cultivars and hybrids with sensory characteristics that better meet consumer preferences and expectations of cooked sorghum grain.