Panelists liking of canola (Brassica napus) greens

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe how three traditional cruciferous vegetables: cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata), collard greens (Brassica oleracea var. acephala) and kale (Brassica oleracea var. viridis) were compared to canola greens through sensory analysis to evaluate panelists' acceptance of canola as a potential source of leafy‐green vegetable.Design/methodology/approachCanola cultivars were grown at Alabama A&M University, Winfred Thomas Agricultural Research Station, Hazel Green, Alabama, and harvested at the rosette stage. Traditional vegetables (cabbage, collard and kale) were obtained from a local food specialty store. All vegetables were washed and refrigerated overnight. On the day of testing, vegetables were chopped uniformly in preparation for cooking. Using a nine‐point hedonic scale, vegetables were rated for color, flavor and texture. Overall preference was rated using most favorite, second favorite and third favorite.FindingsColor of prepared canola was preferred significantly over other vegetables. There was no significant difference in preference based on texture among canola, collard greens and kale, however, cabbage was significantly preferred by panelists for texture and flavor. The rating for color and texture indicated significant difference among age groups. Response for texture and flavor showed a linear relationship (r2 of 0.69) for the model: color texture = flavor, while principal component analysis indicated African‐American females, ages 20‐29 as outliers. The results suggest that canola greens have the appeal of being accepted as an additional tasty Brassica vegetable. Originality/value – This research provides new data on canola as a potential new green leafy vegetable, based on consumer preference.