EVALUATION OF GUEST'S PERCEPTION OF MICROGREENS OFFERED AT MEALS AT LAPINHA SPA, LAPA, PR, BRAZIL: A PILOT EXTENSION PROJECTTÍTULO DO ARTIGO

Abstract

Microgreens are seedlings produced from seeds of different species including vegetables, herbs or grains. Research has shown that these have a higher level of nutrients When compared to the same adult vegetable, and microgreens have gained prominence in haute cuisine to compose the ornamentation of dishes. The objective was to evaluate the acceptability of microgreens by guests of a SPA. This is an extension project that it was conducted at Lapinha Spa, PR, Brazil, aiming to contribute to the inclusion of this important source of nutrients in the guests' diet. The microgreens (lettuce, watercress, kale, amaranth, beet and sunflower) were produced in plastic trays and harvested after 15 days. The perception of microgreens was evaluated through questionnaires to evaluate the attributes: decorative value (DV), sophistication and innovation (SI) and palatability (PA). The RV attribute presented very good perception (90%), followed by SI (79%) and AP (60%). The percentage of responses whose perception level was considered very good and good was higher than 80% for all evaluated attributes. From these results, it can be concluded that microgreens have relevant characteristics and give a higher visual value to the dishes offered in this establishment.