Descriptive Sensory Analysis of Japanese Chicken () Thigh Meat: Sensory Attributes Distinguishing it from Broiler Chickens.

This study aimed to characterize the sensory attributes of Japanese thigh meat, such as texture, odor, and flavor/taste, and to identify the instrumental parameters that distinguish it from commercial broiler chickens. Six chicken thigh meats were used: one (, 14-week old) and five broilers-three Ross 308 (7, 7, 9-week old), one Hubbard ColorPac (10-week old), and one Hubbard RedBro (10-week old)-from different producers. Descriptive sensory analysis was conducted with a trained panel to establish a comprehensive sensory lexicon and quantify attribute intensities of thigh samples cooked in a steam convection oven at 185°C. Instrumental assessments included cooking loss, shear force value, pH, inosine-5'-monophosphate, free amino acid content, and fatty acid composition. meat exhibited greater "springiness" and reduced "tenderness" ( < 0.001), along with higher shear force value ( < 0.001) than broiler meat. meat received also the highest sensory scores for "meaty odor," "meaty flavor," "umami taste," and "aftertaste intensity." While meat had lower free amino acid levels, it was enriched in arachidonic acid ( < 0.05). Principal component analysis revealed a clear separation between meat and the five broilers in terms of "springiness," "tenderness," "meaty flavor," "light taste," "umami taste," and "aftertaste intensity." These results show that meat possesses distinct texture and flavor/taste characteristics compared to commercial broiler meat.