Flavor of Aromatic Fruits and Spices from the Tropical Rainforest – A Field Study

Abstract

Consumers demand new and improved flavor sensations, which cannot always be fulfilled by traditional flavors from known fruits. Inspiration for new developments in flavors may be generated from plant material originating from the tropical rainforests. The tropics house 80 to 90% of all plant species and the aromatic aspects of most of these are entirely unknown. Field methods for the collection of samples, the isolation and conservation of the aroma compounds in very remote areas are presented. The overall flavor profile and the key aroma compounds of selected fruits and 'garlic' barks collected from the Gabonese tropical rainforest 'foret des Abeilles' are described.