Development of an Araucaria araucana Beer-like Beverage: Process and Product

The seed from the Araucaria araucana (in Spanish, pinon) tree, native to Chile and Argentina, is sold mainly as raw seed. Engineering a process to add value to pinon has the potential to positively impact local indigenous communities with very little ecological impact because it is routinely harvested in the wild. This study evaluated the feasibility of using 100% pinon, or as a blend with barley malt, to produce a beer-like beverage, while also evaluating consumer acceptance of the beverage's pinon characteristics. Prototypes generated based on 93% pinon and 7% oat (enzymatic treatment of alpha-amylase, glucoamylase, protease and beta-glucanase), as well as 50% pinon and 50% barley (no external enzymatic treatment), were evaluated. Overall acceptability by a consumer acceptance panel (21 consumers) rated the 100% pinon and the pinon-barley malt blend 5/9 and 7/9, respectively. The pinon-barley malt blend prototype stood out for its low level of carbohydrates, high potassium content and banana and clove aromas.