Effect of cooking on aroma profile of red kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) and correlation with sensory quality

• Aroma profile of raw and cooked red kidney beans was studied using GC/MS.
• Cooking resulted in increased content of sulfur compounds and pyrazines.
• Volatile profile data were correlated with descriptive sensory analysis data.
• Compounds responsible for cooked kidney beans odour were identified.

Volatile aroma compounds of three varieties of red kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) namely Kashmiri red, Sharmili and Chitra were extracted in raw state using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and cooked state using simultaneous distillation extraction (SDE). During cooking a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in the content of several aldehydes, alcohols and terpene hydrocarbons while an increase in content of various sulfurous compounds, terpene alcohols, ketones and pyrazines was noted. Descriptive sensory analysis showed that the maximum intensity of ‘kidney bean’, ‘earthy’ and ‘smoky’ odour was observed in Kashmiri red while Sharmili variety was characterised by ‘sulfurous’ odour. Correlation of volatile profile data with descriptive sensory analysis and odour activity values clearly established the role of compounds, such as methanethiol, diethyl sulfide, dimethyl disulfide, methional and dimethyl trisulfide, in contributing to ‘cooked kidney bean’ aroma, while dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethyl sulfone and ethyl methyl sulfone were responsible for ‘sulfurous’ aroma.