Taste Test Protocol for solar cooked foods

We have often heard that food cooked in a solar cooker tastes different from food cooked in the conventional way.  Is this claim valid or merely a mistaken impression? SHE Research Director Paul Arveson has created a draft protocol to scientifically test this claim. It outlines a method for conducting a randomized, double-blind taste test using two common foods: a chicken stew and a cake (if in a vegetarian culture, a vegetable stew may be substituted).

To help us improve this draft protocol, we welcome solar cooks around the world to carry out this taste test, and provide their experimental results as well as feedback on the protocol.

The protocol and excel sheet can be found under “Research” on the home page.