doiSerbia

Terminology used in sensory evaluation of plum brandy šljivovica quality

Nikićević N. (Faculty of Agriculture, Belgrade-Zemun)

Sensory evaluation of šljivovica quality is a demanding and responsible task To carry out the evaluation satisfactorily, certain specific conditions must be fulfilled. To clearly define all necessary sensory characteristics of šljivovica, an official vocabulary of professional terms and concepts should be established in both theory and practice. The development of an official vocabulary is becoming an imperative, especially when it is evident that subjectively uttered words and concepts and their use can lead to lack of understanding or misunderstanding. The motivation for initiating work on such vocabulary derives from the fact that all renowned world drinks like Cognac, Calvados, Whisky etc have had it for a long time, while Serbian šljivovica has never had it. Due to the lack of an official professional vocabulary, and for the needs of the present paper, the author has taken liberty to present to the research and professional public the vocabulary he has compiled for sensory description of basic parameters of plum brandy šljivovica quality. The vocabulary comes from personal experience and participation in numerous official commissions for evaluating the quality of alcoholic drinks and wines in Yugoslavia. The proposed terms for the plum brandy šljivovica vocabulary or dictionary should be taken as a pioneering attempt and initiative for compiling a more comprehensive Serbian plum brandy dictionary. The author strongly believes that a committee of experts would be able to fulfill the task in the best possible way.