Sensory attributes of native stingless bee honey (Plebeia molesta): first approaches to the characterization and preference of local consumers

Authors

  • Melisa Gabriela Geisa IDACOR, UNC - CONICET
  • María Cristina Ciappini Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Tecnología de los Alimentos, Facultad Regional Rosario, Universidad Tecnológica Nacional. Zeballos 1341, Rosario, CP2000, Santa Fe, Argentina.
  • Norma Inés Hilgert Instituto de Biología Subtropical, Universidad Nacional de Misiones – CONICET. Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, UNaM. Asoc. Civil Centro de Investigaciones del Bosque Atlántico. Bertoni 85, Puerto Iguazú, CP 3370, Misiones, Argentina

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15451/ec2021-06-10.27-1-15

Keywords:

Native stingless bee, Chaco region, peasants, conservation through use, quella

Abstract

The sensory quality of a food is related to the consumer’s ethno-social and idiosyncratic conditions.  In this study, honeys from three different environments in the Chaco region of Córdoba (Argentina) were described qualitatively and quantitatively by specialized evaluators and rural peasant. Honeys with a wide diversity of sensory attributes were evidenced. The samples from Salinas Coast were characterized by high fluidity, those from Serrano Forest by quantity of crystals, and those from Plain Forest by the greatest persistence of taste. The rural population used some shared descriptors for honeys from similar geographical origin. Most rural consumers distinguished the honey from A. mellifera, Plebeia nov. sp. and P. molesta, which were also the preferred ones. We analyzed the results in relation to the Socio-ecological Theory of Maximization and concluded that the sensory components of P. molesta honeys allow their differentiation according to environment of origin and from honeys of other melliferous insects, which together with farmers´ idiosyncratic factors model the selection of the product.

Author Biographies

Melisa Gabriela Geisa, IDACOR, UNC - CONICET

Becaria Doctoral CONICET, UNC

María Cristina Ciappini, Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Tecnología de los Alimentos, Facultad Regional Rosario, Universidad Tecnológica Nacional. Zeballos 1341, Rosario, CP2000, Santa Fe, Argentina.

Doctor, Magister in Food Technology. Teaching Specialist. Chemical engineer

Norma Inés Hilgert, Instituto de Biología Subtropical, Universidad Nacional de Misiones – CONICET. Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, UNaM. Asoc. Civil Centro de Investigaciones del Bosque Atlántico. Bertoni 85, Puerto Iguazú, CP 3370, Misiones, Argentina

Dra. In Biological Sciences. Independent Researcher of the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) and Regular Adjunct Professor at the Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, UNaM. Place of work: Instituto de Biología Subtropical –IBS- (Iguazú, UNaM/CONICET)

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Published

06/09/2021

How to Cite

Geisa, M. G., Ciappini, M. C., & Hilgert, N. I. (2021). Sensory attributes of native stingless bee honey (Plebeia molesta): first approaches to the characterization and preference of local consumers. Ethnobiology and Conservation, 10. https://doi.org/10.15451/ec2021-06-10.27-1-15

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Original research article