In order to ascertain whether or not flavor differed between high- and normal-oleic peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.), data from the quality assessment phase of the Uniform Peanut Performance Test (UPPT) were used to compare the mean of 22 high-oleic cultivars with 37 normal oleic cultivars and registered germplasm lines. No difference was detected for any sensory attribute intensity except stale / cardboardy. That difference was very small (0.16 vs. 0.28 flavor intensity units, P=0.0008) and favored high-oleics. Although there was no detectable difference between high- and normal oleic lines, there was variation among individual lines for oil content, roast color, and several sensory attributes (dark roasted, raw / beany, roasted peanutty, sweet aromatic, sweet, bitter, wood-hulls-skins, and "off flavors" stale / cardboard, fruity / fermented, and plastic / chemical). No variation at all was detected among lines for astringent, earthy, painty, metallic, or sour. The absence of large differences between the two major oleic acid types and the presence of variation among lines within types for some key attributes suggests that it is possible to identify high-oleic cultivars with superior flavor profiles.

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