Development and Characteristic Properties of Functional Tarhana Enriched with Pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima Duch.) Flour

Abstract

Pumpkin is a good source of carotenoids, dietary fiber, and bioactive compounds, and it has been widely used to enrich various food products. However, no studies have been reported on its use in the production of tarhana, a traditional Turkish fermented food. In this study, gluten-free tarhana was produced by substituting wheat flour with lyophilized pumpkin flour at levels of 0%, 5%, 10%, 20.5%, and 41%. The analyses revealed that the addition of pumpkin flour significantly reduced the protein content and viscosity of tarhana, while increasing its ash, moisture, total carotenoid, and dietary fiber contents. No significant differences were observed in pH, water activity, and salt content. All tarhana samples showed an increase in carotenoid, fiber, and antioxidant contents. Sensory evaluation results indicated that tarhana samples containing 5% and 10% pumpkin flour were the most preferred by the panelists. Overall, the findings demonstrated that pumpkin flour can be successfully used in the production of low-gluten, nutritionally enriched tarhana.