Asian Journal of Food Research and Nutrition

Tepache is a spontaneously fermented pineapple beverage whose sensory identity arises from an uninoculated consortium of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts. The consumer consequences of substituting West African botanicals for its spices are unknown. This study compared a household-scale Modified tepache containing West African botanicals with a Traditional formulation containing cinnamon, clove and star anise. Forty consumers, 20 per product in independent groups, rated 16 attributes on 0 –10 line scales and four hedonic dimensions on 9-point scales for a Modified tepache fortified with Hibiscus sabdariffa, Xylopia aethiopica, Monodora myristica, Piper guineense and African lemon, and a Traditional formulation with cinnamon, clove and star anise. Mean intensities ranged from 2.90 to 7.80 (Modified) and 3.90 to 8.20 (Traditional). Of 20 variables tested, only sweetness survived Benjamini–Hochberg correction (3.60 ± 2.37 against 6.60 ± 2.72; q = 0.016; Hedges g = −1.15; Cliff's δ = −0.615). Colour intensity was higher in the Modified beverage (7.30 ± 1.98 against 5.75 ± 1.71; q = 0.098). All six a priori fermentation markers, namely depressed sweetness with elevated tanginess, lingering acidity, fermented aroma, alcoholic note and carbonation, indicated more advanced fermentation in the Modified beverage (sign test, p = 0.031), without global response-style bias (p = 0.454). Sweetness was the dominant driver of overall liking (ρ = 0.64; VIP = 1.769) and the only predictor retained under L1 penalisation, whereas colour intensity ranked last (VIP = 0.033). Overall liking was 5.30 ± 1.49 against 6.10 ± 1.41 (q = 0.287), and no attribute met the equivalence criterion. These findings identify sweetness as the principal formulation factor associated with consumer acceptance in the tested tepache beverages.