ABSTRACT

Pepper-soup cubes were produced from a blend of six indigenous species namely Piper guinensis (Uziza), Ocimum gratisimum (Nchuanwu), Gongronema latifolium (Utazi), Morodra myristica (Ehuru), and Xylopia aethiopia. The major aim of producing the cubes was to eradicate unnecessary stress being faced in the gathering and processing of the spices prior to use. The cubes will also enhance the export of the spices and facilitates its use (s) in the diet of the urbanized world. Sensory evaluation was carried out using goat meat pepper soup prepared with the cubes, while the one prepared with the fresh species served as the control. Apart from the attribute "appearance" where the soup with the fresh ingredients scored better than the one with the cubes, there were no significant differences (p <0.05) between the soup samples for all other sensory attributes tested for. Microbial analysis using serial dilution was also carried out on the cubes for a period of three (3) months. The result obtained showed neither bacterial nor fungal growth. The mould species Rhizopus nigricans was observed after two months, though on an infinitesimal level. This is not surprising as the spices are reported to help in the prevention of microbial invasion in foods. Key words: pepper soup cubes, indigenous spices, sensory evaluation and microbial analysis.