The odor and flavor of cooked common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.): Sensory lexicon, chemical background and diversity in the Spanish Core collection

The diversity of odor and flavor sensory attributes present in common beans, along with their variability ( i.e. , sensory diversity) and the chemical compounds responsible for these attributes, has been poorly described. This research used a trained panel and a set of 30 diverse varieties to produce a lexicon comprising 12 odor, 13 flavor, and 4 taste attributes. The lexicon was used to describe the variability in 20 varieties from the Spanish Core Collection. Varieties were also characterized for 46 volatile and 9 non-volatile compounds candidates to influence sensory characteristics. The sensory diversity showed a significant similarity in odor and flavor variability (r = 0.663, p < 0.001), suggesting a common structural organization. Overall, the sensory landscape clustered into a "buttery" profile, correlated with white seeds, and a "roasted" profile, correlated with colored seeds. Random Forest modeling using metabolomic data achieved high accuracy (R 2 = 0.75–0.92), identifying an average of 5.46 contributing molecules per sensory attribute. This study provides a reference methodology for sensory profiling of common beans. • A lexicon of 29 sensory attributes is proposed for sensory profiling of common beans. • Flavor and odor sensory diversity show a similar structural organization. • Spanish Core Collection’s sensory diversity forms two main profiles: toasty and buttery. • An average of 5.46 molecules underlie each sensory attribute in common beans.