Sensory Evaluation for Date Cake - Essay Example

"Sensory Evaluation for Date Cakes" is a great example of a paper on food and nutrition.
Date palm is believed to have originated from the lands around the Persian Gulf, and between the Nile and Euphrates rivers. It then spread to other areas of the world through trade and migrations. Dates exist in different types, depending on the location. The common types of dates found in the USA are Barhi, Dayri, Deglet Noor, Halawy, Hayany, Khadrawy, Khastawi, Maktoum, Medjool, and Sayer, just to mention a few. Almost all of these types of dates draw their names from Arabic words (Gor & Koren, 2008).

 Dates are classified as the fruit of the date palm. They are dark-red brown and approximately one and a half inches in length. Date skin is old and wrinkly and is covered with a sticky, wax-like film. Dates mature within groups underneath the fronds on the date palm tree. An individual group holds between 600 and 1,700 dates. Date palms can easily grow as tall as 100 ft. and remain in production for several years, more than sixty years. (Ishrud $ Kennedy, 2005).

Dates have far-ranging both nutritional and health benefits. Dates are usually free from fat and cholesterol. Therefore, they are an excellent source of dietary fiber. A single date consists of close to 23 calories, thus making it a nutritious low-calorie snack food. They also contain vitamins A, B-complex, C, and other 20 distinct amino acids, which help in the absorption, regulation of blood sugar and fatty acids. In addition, they are better options for potassium, carbohydrates, calcium, iron, and minerals such as selenium. In short, dates consist of all the nutritional components: minerals, vitamins, lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates (Ishrud $ Kennedy, 2005).

The Health benefits of dates are numerous and touch on every aspect of health problems. There are several health benefits of dates that have been documented. These include curing of constipation, prevention of intestinal disorders, weight gain, curing of heart disease, prevention of diarrhea, curing of intoxication, boosting of body energy, maintaining a healthy nervous system, curing of anemia, strengthening tooth enamel, boosting the health of pregnant women, curing of night blindness, curing of abdominal cancer, and raising of sexual stamina –and that is not limited to this list (Al-Shahib & Marshal, 2003).

This study analyzes the nutritional and health benefits of dates. It, therefore, focuses on how dates can be introduced in a healthy diet. The study involves Sensory Evaluation for the Date Cake that we made. It analyzes the health and nutritional benefits of dates by comparing the effects of purple –original recipe and yellow –modified recipe on those who consumed them (Ishrud $ Kennedy, 2005).

Material and Method

The food material that was used to make the Date Cakes include:

1. Purple (1) –original recipe; 30 pieces of dates, 4 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 1½ cup white flour, ½ cup oil, 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder, and 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
2. Yellow (2) –modified recipe; 30 pieces of date, 4 eggs, 1 cup brown sugar, 1½ cup whole wheat grain flour, ½ cup oil, Tablespoon Baking Powder, and Tablespoon cardamom

Study design –snow bowl method was used in the identity and selection of the participants. 20 participants from multi-ethnical groups were sampled. The sample code was purple (1) and yellow (2). Sample code purple (1) represented the original recipe while sample code yellow (2) represented modified recipe. The participants’ right of acceptance to participate was sought by asking them to sign the consent form (Ishrud $ Kennedy, 2005).

Study procedure –Tow types of cakes were made using the food material provided under each of the sample codes (purple, 1, and yellow, 2). The participants were served with the cakes, and then Sensory Evaluation was conducted (Ishrud $ Kennedy, 2005).