Caracterización organoléptica del cacao ecuatoriano: una revisión de la influencia del genotipo, ambiente y manejo poscosecha
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17268/sci.agropecu.2025.064Palavras-chave:
Theobroma cacao, cacao fino de aroma, caracterización sensorial, genotipo, procesamiento poscosechaResumo
El cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) constituye un cultivo de importancia económica y cultural, y el cacao fino de aroma representa un segmento diferenciado del mercado por la complejidad de sus perfiles sensoriales. Ecuador ocupa una posición destacada en este segmento, particularmente por el cacao Nacional, reconocido por sus atributos florales y frutales. El objetivo de esta revisión cualitativa de la literatura fue analizar la caracterización organoléptica del cacao ecuatoriano en relación con el genotipo, las condiciones agroecológicas y el manejo poscosecha. La literatura fue identificada mediante una búsqueda estructurada en Scopus, ScienceDirect y PubMed, actualizada hasta septiembre de 2026, y complementada con antecedentes relevantes para la contextualización y comparación de los hallazgos. Los resultados muestran que el genotipo establece un potencial sensorial cuya expresión está condicionada por el ambiente y el procesamiento poscosecha. El cacao Nacional y sus derivados se asociaron principalmente con perfiles florales y frutales, mientras que CCN-51 presentó con mayor frecuencia atributos de cacao, amargor y astringencia. La fermentación y el secado fueron etapas determinantes en el desarrollo y modificación del perfil sensorial. Entre los compuestos asociados con la calidad se identificaron aldehídos, ésteres, alcoholes y pirazinas, relacionados con notas florales, frutales, de cacao y tostado, mientras que los polifenoles y las metilxantinas se vincularon principalmente con el amargor y la astringencia. La integración de métodos sensoriales e instrumentales permitió establecer asociaciones entre la composición química y la percepción sensorial. En conjunto, la evidencia indica que la calidad organoléptica del cacao ecuatoriano resulta de la influencia conjunta del genotipo, las condiciones agroecológicas y el manejo poscosecha. Estos hallazgos aportan criterios para optimizar el procesamiento y fortalecer la diferenciación del cacao ecuatoriano en mercados especializados, y evidencian la necesidad de estandarizar los protocolos sensoriales y desarrollar estudios multilocales y multianuales que permitan evaluar la estabilidad de los atributos de calidad.
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