Improvement of the production process and the sensory and nutritional quality of m'bahou, a traditional plantain semolina, enriched with soy or cowpea

Abstract

SummaryM'bahou is a traditional Ivorian food dish prepared from senescent plantain and cassava powder which has a low protein content and a weak technological aptitude because of its stickiness. The present study aims at investigating the possibility to lower m'bahou stickiness by using fermented cassava powders and evaluating the impact of partial substitution of cassava by soy and cowpea on its sensory, nutritional and textural properties. A descriptive test was performed to deduce the impact of cassava fermentation time. Formulating m'bahou with 4‐h fermented cassava permitted to reach the best compromise between stickiness, taste, and smell. A hedonic test was performed to choose the adequate proportion of soybean or cowpea powders to substitute for 4‐h fermented cassava powder in the formulation of m'bahou, leading to 10% soy or 15% cowpea in final formulations. Moreover, it was highlighted that substitution permitted to improve nutritional quality and energy value. Texture analysis showed that semolina containing fermented cassava powder prepared as compacts after reconstitution slightly differed from the reference m'bahou formulated with unfermented cassava: although their hardness was higher and their elasticity and masticability lower, they appeared to be less adhesive and cohesive, showing their better technological aptitude.