Comparative Chemical Composition among the Varieties of Korean Chili Pepper

From the point of breeding view for our future, 20 Korean varieties of red pepper for the contents of capsaicinoids, free amino acids, free fatty acids and organic acids with powder product and eating qualities were chosen, and the sensory properties of their water and ethanol extract were compared in order to investigate the influence of the composition of test components on sensory acceptability of Korean red pepper. The composition of taste components in red pepper powder varied wildly depending on the varieties; total capsaicinoids content variety from 0.029 to 0.913%, free sugar 8.45 to 20.2%, and organic acid 4.58 to 19.54%. Capsaicinoid contents especially dihydrocapsaicin content, were highly correlated with pungent taste of the methanol extract of red pepper power, but did not show significant relationship to the overall sensory acceptability. However, the components analyzed here and eating and processing qualities include high variations and future breeding sources.