PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND SENSORY CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUNG COCONUT MEAT MARSHMALLOW SUPPLEMENTED WITH PANDAN LEAF POWDER

Abstract

Young coconut meat is a perishable food due to its high moisture content. Therefore, proper processing is required to extend its shelf life. One potential product that can be developed is marshmallow; however, young coconut marshmallow has a relatively pale appearance, which may limit its visual appeal. The addition of pandan leaf powder was considered because it can provide a natural green color and characteristic aroma. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different concentrations of pandan leaf powder on the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of young coconut meat marshmallow. This study used a non-factorial completely randomized design with five levels of pandan leaf powder addition (0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, and 8%) and three replications, resulting in 15 experimental units. The parameters observed included moisture content, ash content, reducing sugar content, and sensory evaluation using both descriptive and hedonic tests. The results showed that the addition of pandan leaf powder had a significant effect on all observed parameters. P1, with 2% pandan leaf powder, showed the most favorable sensory acceptance among the treatments. This treatment produced moisture content of 25.44%, ash content of 0.34%, and reducing sugar content of 3.93%. Descriptive sensory assessment showed that the selected marshmallow had a light green color, characteristic pandan aroma, sweet taste, and chewy texture. Hedonic assessment showed color score of 4.18 (like), aroma 4.00 (like), taste 3.70 (like), chewiness 3.96 (like), and overall assessment 4.26 (like).