Physicochemical Properties and Sensory Evaluation for the Heat Level (Hot Taste) of Korean Red Pepper Powder

This study investigated the heat level rating of several varieties of Korean red peppers. The chemical constitution of Korean red pepper samples were as follows: 0.54∼290.15 mg% capsaicinoids, 79.22∼139.09 ASTA value, and 16.76∼29.92% free sugar content. The heat level of the Korean red pepper samples was evaluated by trained panelists and the correlation coefficient and F value (0.001%) of the panelist’s results were determined to be significant. In the principle component analysis (PCA), PC1 (capsaicinoids) and PC2 (free sugar) were shown to represent 31.98% and 25.77% of the total variance, respectively. The results of panelists trained for red pepper heat rating were evaluated using analysis of variance and correlation analysis. The trained panelists showed a high F value (p=0.05) and high correlation coefficient. A high correlation efficient of 0.84∼0.93 for the test samples with a 40 Scoville heat unit (32,000 SHU red pepper powder) was reported in the sensory evaluation of the Korean red pepper heat level by a trained panel. However, the panel showed a low correlation efficiency of 0.70 R(2) when the 60 SHU test samples were included in the analysis.