SENSORIAL ANALYSIS FOR SOME ROMANIAN AND FOREIGN BLUEBERRY VARIETIES.

Blueberries are considered super-food because of their richness in antioxidants and vitamin C, essential for strengthening the immune system and protecting the brain. Breeders strive to improve the blueberries' fruit quality treats, so these fruits will have flavors and unique tastes, considerable size, and intense colors, which makes them even more appreciated by consumers. The firmness of fruits, their juiciness, taste, aroma, size, and color are all indicators used to appreciate the 30 blueberry varieties used in this study. Eight Romanian varieties and 22 foreign varieties were analyzed in a testing session in August 2023 with 51 accessors. The highest ranking is attributed to the 'Brigitta' variety. The 'Pink Lemonade' variety scored the best results for flavor, taste, firmness, and juiciness. The Romanian variety 'Delicia' was in the top 3 for 3 indicators. The results of the present study could be used by breeders to select promising varieties as genitors in blueberry breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]