Note. Influence of texture and type of hydrocolloid on perception of basic tastes in carrageenan and gellan gels Nota. Influencia de la textura y del tipo de hidrocoloide en la percepción de los gustos fundamentales en geles de carragenato y de gelana

Preliminary work was carried out on the effect of texture, as represented by gel strength, between around 5 and 20 N of compression maximum force, of both carrageenan and gellan gels on the per ception of the four basic tastes. These were produced by addition of 15% (w/w) sucrose, 0.06%(w/w) caffeine, 0.5% (w/w) sodium chloride, or a mixture of 0.15% (w/w) citric acid and 0.2% (w/w) so dium citrate. Low strength (5-8 N) carrageenan gels were sweeter, more salty and more sour than both medium (11-15 N) and high (18-24 N) strength ones. Differences in bitterness were shown only between low and high texture carrageenan gels. The same differences in sweetness caused by texture were found between low and both medium and high strength gellan samples. Differences in saltiness and sourness were only detected between gellan gels of extreme gel strengths, in favor of the weakest gels. No difference in bitterness was found for any of the pairs of gellan samples. On comparing taste intensity between the two hydrocolloid gels at different strength levels, it was found that both me dium and high strength gellan gels were sweeter and more salty than the corresponding carrageenan gels, confirming the reported flavor-releasing properties of gellan.