Data on the sensory evaluation of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) from different areas of Hokkaido, Japan, performed by untrained young adults

This data article describes a sensory evaluation of potatoes used in food processing from the Tokachi, Kamikawa, and Abashiri geographic areas of Hokkaido, Japan, performed by untrained young adults. We gathered sensory data on potatoes from the four cultivars ‘Toyoshiro,’ ‘Kitahime,’ ‘Snowden,’ and ‘Poroshiri.’ The sensory evaluation was performed on steamed potatoes from each cultivar; these potatoes were harvested from each of the three geographic areas. Table 1 provides the data from the evaluation of the five basic tastes (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami), as well as the evaluation of the egumi taste, which is a Japanese term indicating a taste that is acrid, astringent, and slightly bitter.


a b s t r a c t
This data article describes a sensory evaluation of potatoes used in food processing from the Tokachi, Kamikawa, and Abashiri geographic areas of Hokkaido, Japan, performed by untrained young adults. We gathered sensory data on potatoes from the four cultivars 'Toyoshiro,' 'Kitahime,' 'Snowden,' and 'Poroshiri.' The sensory evaluation was performed on steamed potatoes from each cultivar; these potatoes were harvested from each of the three geographic areas. Table 1 provides the data from the evaluation of the five basic tastes (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami), as well as the evaluation of the egumi taste, which is a Japanese term indicating a taste that is acrid, astringent, and slightly bitter. &

Value of the data
The data presented will be available as reference to compare the tastes of different potato cultivars.
The data presented may serve as an index for selecting potato cultivars for producing a desired taste.
The data presented are available for use in food processing when selecting potatoes based on the taste of each cultivar and production area.

Data
This article presents data on the sensory evaluation of potato tubers from four cultivars ('Toyoshiro,' 'Kitahime,' 'Snowden,' and 'Poroshiri') by untrained young adults (Table 1). Potatoes from each cultivar were harvested at farms in the Tokachi, Kamikawa, and Abashiri areas of Hokkaido, Japan. Japanese terms in this article are explained in Table S1.

Experimental design
We selected the four cultivars that are most widely farmed for food-processing purposes. In Japan, 'Toyoshiro' is the most popular cultivar and provides the highest yield for processing purposes [1]. 'Kitahime,' 'Snowden,' and 'Poroshiri' are predominantly used for the production of potato chips. These four cultivars were sourced from the Tokachi, Kamikawa, and Abashiri regions. Our taste testers assessed the five basic tastes, i.e., sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami, as well as egumi, which is a Japanese term indicating an acrid and astringent taste that is slightly bitter [2,3]. For the evaluation of these tastes, we employed a questionnaire.

Sensory evaluation
After harvest, tubers were preserved at −80°C, until they were used in the sensory evaluation. Tubers with a specific gravity around the average value for each group were steamed for 40 min. The sensory evaluation was performed by a panel of thirteen untrained university students. The measured parameters were "sweetness," "saltiness," "sourness," "bitterness," "umami," and the "egumi taste." These taste parameters were judged using a three-point scale: 1, no taste; 2, slight taste; and 3, strong taste. Measurements were statistically analyzed by Tukey's test (P o0.05).
Supplementary data associated with this article can be found in the online version at http://dx.doi. org/10.1016/j.dib.2017.09.047. The different upper-case letters indicate significant differences (P o 0.05) between cultivation areas, for each cultivar and specific taste. The different lower-case letters indicate significant differences (P o 0.05) in the same row. n.d.: No data a The egumi taste is an acrid, astringent, and bitter-like taste that irritates the root of tongue [2,3]