Data from: Consumer Acceptability and Flavor Attributes of Black Walnut Syrup: Tapping into a Climate-resilient and Profitable Alternative to Traditional Syrups

Abstract: Black walnut (<i>Juglans nigra</i> L.) is a climate-resilient species that presents underexplored opportunities for horticultural applications, including tapping for syrup production. This study evaluated consumer liking of black walnut syrup and characterized consumer descriptions of its flavor compared with maple syrup. Five syrups were evaluated: two grade A maple syrups (Maple1 and Maple2), a commercial black walnut syrup (PBW_commercial), two locally produced black walnut syrups (PBW_UMN1 and PBW_UMN2), and a black walnut–infused syrup (BW_infused). Participants (n = 106) evaluated six syrup samples and rated them on attributes such as color, overall liking, flavor liking, and the intensity of specific flavors (e.g., caramel, nutty, woody, maple, burnt, bitter). Statistical analyses revealed differences among syrups for all attributes. Darker syrups (PBW_commercial, PBW_UMN2) exhibited stronger woody, burnt, and bitter flavors, while lighter syrups (PBW_UMN1, BW_infused) had milder profiles. PBW_UMN2 closely resembled Maple2 for most attributes, while PBW_commercial differed, with lower overall liking and caramel scores and higher nutty, woody, burnt, and bitter attributes. Principal component analysis indicated that flavor liking and overall liking were negatively correlated with bitter and burnt flavors but positively correlated with maple and caramel flavors. Multiple linear regression models showed that caramel and maple flavors positively influenced liking, while bitterness negatively affected it. The blend of familiar flavors and distinctive black walnut characteristics indicated that PBW_UMN2 could be as liked as maple syrup. This study highlights the market potential of black walnut syrup, suggesting that balancing caramel, woodiness, and nuttiness while minimizing bitterness can enhance consumer acceptability.

摘要：黑胡桃（*Juglans nigra* L.）是一种气候适应性强的树种，其园艺应用潜力尚未被充分挖掘，其中包括割取树液制备糖浆的应用方向。本研究评估了消费者对黑胡桃糖浆的喜好程度，并对比了消费者对其与枫糖浆的风味描述特征。本次评估共涉及5类糖浆：2款A级枫糖浆（Maple1、Maple2）、1款商用黑胡桃糖浆（PBW_commercial）、2款本地生产的黑胡桃糖浆（PBW_UMN1、PBW_UMN2）以及1款黑胡桃浸渍糖浆（BW_infused）。共有106名参与者对6份糖浆样品进行了评估，并从色泽、整体喜好度、风味喜好度以及特定风味强度（如焦糖味、坚果味、木质味、枫糖味、焦糊味、苦味）等维度对样品进行评分。统计分析结果表明，所有评估维度在不同糖浆样品间均存在显著差异。色泽较深的糖浆（PBW_commercial、PBW_UMN2）表现出更强的木质味、焦糊味与苦味，而色泽较浅的糖浆（PBW_UMN1、BW_infused）则风味更为柔和。PBW_UMN2在多数评估维度上与Maple2较为相似，而PBW_commercial则表现出显著差异：其整体喜好度与焦糖风味评分更低，同时坚果味、木质味、焦糊味与苦味评分更高。主成分分析（Principal Component Analysis）结果显示，风味喜好度与整体喜好度均与苦味、焦糊味呈负相关，而与枫糖味、焦糖味呈正相关。多元线性回归模型结果表明，焦糖风味与枫糖风味对喜好度具有正向影响，而苦味则对喜好度产生负向影响。熟悉风味与独特黑胡桃风味特征的融合属性表明，PBW_UMN2的消费者喜好程度可与枫糖浆相媲美。本研究凸显了黑胡桃糖浆的市场潜力，表明通过平衡焦糖风味、木质味与坚果味，并尽可能降低苦味，可提升消费者对其的接受度。