Seeds of pea were germinated for 7 days in dark, and the sensory quality of sprouts was compared using quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) and hedonic tests. In QDA a trained panel rated the sprouts for colour, odour, taste and texture. In the affective tests the panelists evaluated the samples for overall quality. Changes in the contents of total phenolics and nitrogenous compounds were also monitored for 7 days of germination. The results proved that the time of germination had a significant effect on the sensory quality of sprouts. Attributes that differentiated the sensory profiles were: colour, green pea odour, off odour, sweet taste, “astringent” taste, bitter taste, “starch” taste, fibrousness and flourness. Principal component analysis (PCA) demonstrated that the first (PC1) and the second (PC2) component together explained 96.70% of the total variability of the sensory quality of the samples. The overall quality of 2-day-old sprouts was better that that of the other samples. A statistically significant, negative correlation was observed between the overall quality of the sprouts and contents of: total phenolics, total nitrogen and non-protein nitrogen.