Abstract
Background: Cassava breeding research programs focused initially on agronomic performance but in recent years they have considered the processability and the organoleptic properties of the final product, to increase the adoption of new varieties. One important cassava foodstuff is attiéké, a fermented and granular product, so it is necessary to determine criteria used by attiéké processors to select raw cassava and the characteristics leading consumers to like this product. This study assessed the attiéké production process, the criteria associated with the quality of attiéké, the sensory drivers of consumer acceptance, and their thresholds. Results: The total processing yield of attiéké varied according to the cassava variety and depended primarily on the fermentation-pressing yield. However, it was not correlated either with the peeling yield or with morphological characteristics of cassava roots. The production of a ton of attiéké required about 150 h. Dry matter, organic acids, soluble sugars, total pectin, and the pH of raw material and attiéké varied depending on the cassava variety. Ten discriminating sensory attributes of attiéké were identified. Consumer testing showed that overall liking for attiéké was associated with sourness, texture, and brightness. Acceptable sensory score thresholds were 1.67–2.18 for sour odor, 4.75 to 6.3 for cohesiveness, and 5.4 to 6.3 for 'mouthfeel sensation'. Attiéké dry matter correlated positively with cohesiveness and moldability. Conclusions: Several potential solutions are discussed to improve the adoption of cassava varieties for attiéké production. However, further studies need to be carried out to translate the sensory thresholds of texture attributes into robust instrumental methods because texture is an important attribute of attiéké in addition to sourness.