Variation of physicochemical and sensory properties during the aging of yerba mate

Abstract

Yerba mate infusion is widely consumed in Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. One of the processing steps used in Argentina is aging. The following three methods are used to age yerba mate: 1) air humidity and temperature-controlled aging; 2) temperature-controlled aging and 3) no control. The aim of this research was to determine the physicochemical and sensory attribute differences when yerba mate is aged using these three methods. The concentration of caffeine, glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose and phenolic compounds and pH generally diminish in all three aging methods but at different percentages. The sensory attributes did not exhibit a general behaviour. The astringent intensity remained constant in the first method and diminished in the other two. The bitter intensity increased in all three methods but at different percentages. The sweet intensity diminished in all three methods. Notably few correlations were determined between physicochemical and sensory attributes.