Standardization and nutritional modeling of traditional Ottoman eggplant pickles with sensory evaluation

This study aims to adapt eggplant pickle, a significant culinary heritage of the Ottoman era within Turkish cuisine, to contemporary conditions by standardizing its production, determining its nutritional value, and evaluating its sensory attributes. Initially, Ottoman pickle varieties were examined through document analysis, and eggplant pickles were selected on the basis of expert opinions. Using the historical food adaptation model, the product was reformulated in accordance with modern production and hygiene standards. The energy and nutrient composition of the standardized product were calculated per serving via the BeBiS (Nutrition Information System). Sensory characteristics were evaluated by 25 semitrained panellists via a 9-point hedonic scale. The results indicated that the eggplant pickle is an acceptable product, receiving an average score of ≈ 6.31 for color, odor, taste, texture, and overall acceptability. These findings demonstrate that traditional Ottoman pickles can be successfully reinterpreted in modern gastronomy, contributing to product development, cultural heritage preservation, and sustainability.