Identifying the drivers of liking by investigating the reasons for (dis)liking using CATA in cross-cultural context: a case study on barbecue sauce

Physicochemical and sensory characteristics of commercially available rice-based Doenjang and their correlation to consumer acceptability for Korean young adults

There is an increased demand for rice doenjang by consumers who are allergic to beans as well as for those seeking diverse flavors. The objective of this study was to characterize the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of commercially available rice-based doenjang in Korea and to identify the perception of Korean consumers about rice-based doenjang. Rice doenjang exhibited a lower pH, acid value, and an NH3-N content, as well as a higher total sugar, reducing sugar, and alcohol content than soybean doenjang. Descriptive analysis results revealed that rice doenjang made in Korea has similar aroma characteristics as in miso, such as Katsuobushi aromatic. The rice doenjang purchased from Japan was characterized by high intensities of sweet attributes, such as butter cracker, grape juice, and pineapple. Consumers preferred soybean doenjang instead of rice doenjang among three doenjang samples. These results suggest that the familiarity of soybean-based doenjang affects consumer preference and choice.

The Shopping Behavior of International Students in Poland during COVID-19 Pandemic

The purpose of this research is to analyze the shopping behavior of international students (Asian vs. European) studying in Poland. Participants were recruited from universities located in Warsaw between June and September 2020. A total of 806 questionnaires were collected, 87 of which were eliminated due to non-response. The research sample consisted of 719 people. We conducted an exploratory factor analysis and cluster analysis for the entire study population and separately for European and Asian students. In exploratory factor analysis, two factors were extracted for the entire population, while three factors each were extracted for the European and Asian student groups. In cluster analysis, we obtained four clusters each for the entire study population and the group of European and Asian students. Our study found that among Asian students, compared to European students, there was a greater change in shopping behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic, expressed by a greater preference for online shopping, greater purchases of fruits and vegetables, purchases of local products, and shorter shopping time.

Improving the quality of barbecued culled-dairy-goat meat by marination with plant juices and sodium bicarbonate

Meat from dairy goats is less tender than that from meat goats since generally they are of an older age when culled. The objective of this study was to improve the quality of barbecued culled-dairy-goat by using juices (ginger and pineapple) and sodium bicarbonate (SB). The optimum time (30, 60, 90 min) for marinating the goat meat with ginger and pineapple juices was evaluated. Then, the optimum levels of SB (0, 1, 3, 5%) and the optimum marinating procedure for the application of SB was studied. The results showed that the ginger-marinated samples had a lower cooking loss than the pineapple-marinated samples. The optimum time for marinating the samples with plant juices was 60 min indicated by the lower hardness and chewiness as compared to those of the samples marinated with plant juices for 30 and 90 min. The cooking loss and L* values of the marinated samples significantly decreased with increasing concentrations of SB. The lowest hardness were observed in the samples marinated with pineapple juice containing 3% SB and ginger juice containing 5% SB. The samples marinated with pineapple juice for 60 min and then marinated with a barbecue sauce containing 3% SB for 60 min had a lower cooking loss and hardness as well as higher scores for all sensory attributes compared to the non-juice-marinated meat with SB and the ginger-marinated meat. The results indicate that pineapple juice and SB (3%) can improve the quality of culled dairy-goat-meat, and in particular its texture.

Cross-Cultural Consumer Acceptability for Ethnic Fermented Sauce Products: Comparisons among Korean, UAE, and US Consumers

The present study investigated the drivers of liking ethnic sauces in a cross-cultural context. Experiments were conducted to understand the acceptance of salad dressings and dipping sauces developed from Korean fermented seasonings among consumers with different ethnic backgrounds, including: South Korean, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and American. The samples of interest included four types of salad dressings made from fermented soybean paste (doenjang) and four types of spicy dipping sauces made from fermented chili pepper paste (gochujang). The salad dressings were preferred by Korean and US consumers. Koreans liked the nutty-flavored salad dressings, whereas UAE and American consumers commonly liked the spicy type. There was a stronger cross-cultural agreement in liking dipping sauces rather than salad dressings. Both Korean and American consumers liked spicy dipping sauces that elicited a sweet taste. UAE consumers tended to prefer the less spicy dipping sauce samples. Consumers in all three countries generally liked spicy dipping sauces more than salad dressings. Cultural differences were observed between the responses depending on the presence and level of spiciness in the two different food types. For product development with ethnic fermented flavors or chili spices, the contextual appropriateness and consumer familiarity with the corresponding flavor should be taken into account.

Texture Preferences of Chinese, Korean and US Consumers: A Case Study with Apple and Pear Dried Fruits

The present study aimed to understand the drivers of liking dried apple and pear chips with various textures among Chinese (n = 58), Korean (n = 58), and US (n = 56) consumers. The possibility of hedonic transfer from snack texture preferences to fruit-chip texture preferences was also investigated among Chinese and Koreans. Fourteen fruit-chip samples with four textural properties (crispy, puffy, soft, and jelly-like) were selected. Consumers rated their level of liking for each sample, and then they performed hedonic-based projective mapping with the same samples. In the hedonic texture transfer investigation, consumers rated their acceptance of nine snacks with various textures but possessing similar textures to those of dried fruit samples. The data were analyzed by ANOVA and multiple factor analysis. Most consumers disliked samples with a soft or jelly-like texture, while liked samples with a crispy texture. Cross-cultural differences were observed in the liking of puffy samples, with both Chinese and Koreans liking puffy samples as much as crispy ones for their melting characteristics in the mouth, while US consumers perceived the puffy samples as being Styrofoam-like and disliked them. Hedonic transfer was observed from snack texture preferences to fruit-chip. Individual texture preferences for snacks seem to significantly affect the texture preferences for fruit chips.

Important Sensory, Association, and Postprandial Perception Attributes Influencing Young Taiwanese Consumers' Acceptance for Taiwanese Specialty Teas

For hundreds of years, Taiwan has been famous for its various specialty teas. The sensory features of these teas have been well specialized and standardized through sensory evaluations performed by tea experts in yearly competitions throughout history. However, the question arises of whether young Taiwanese consumers, whose dietary behaviors have become Westernized, agree with the conventional sensory standards and association/postprandial concepts in the traditional tea market of Taiwan. To study young Taiwanese consumers' ideas towards traditional specialty teas, this research recruited 109 respondents, younger than the age of 30, to taste seven Taiwanese specialty tea infusions of various degrees of fermentation, and their opinions were gathered by questionnaires composed of check-all-that-apply (CATA) questions and hedonic scales. Through statistical analyses, we found that several tea sensory attributes which were emphasized in experts' descriptive sensory evaluations were not appreciated by the young Taiwanese people. Instead, tea aroma and late sweetness/palatable/smooth/refreshing mouthfeels were the most important sensory attributes contributing to their tea preference. Overall, there would generally be no problem in serving young Taiwanese consumers lightly-fermented oolong teas that generate the highest digestive and lowest heartburn postprandial perceptions.

Understanding the drivers of liking for fresh pears: a cross-cultural investigation of Chinese and Korean panels and consumers

BACKGROUND

This study identified and compared the drivers of liking for fresh pears cross-culturally, using Korean and Chinese panels and consumers. The pear samples consisted of six types of fresh pear varying in flavor and texture qualities. The descriptive panels for the two countries independently derived descriptive terms for the pears. Acceptance testing was also conducted to examine the hedonic levels of fresh pears among Chinese and Korean consumers. Multivariate analysis of variance, using a general linear model (GLM), and multiple-factor analysis were applied to the descriptive data. The consumer test data were analyzed using a GLM, correspondence analysis, and internal preference mapping.

RESULTS

The results showed that the overall perceptual configurations of pears developed by the Chinese and Korean panels were similar. The consumer liking for fresh pears and the drivers of liking were also cross-culturally similar. Consumers from both countries liked crisp and juicy Asian pears but they had different perceptions of and liking for the pear with a strong fruity note and soft texture. This observation was supported by the results of the descriptive analysis, which showed that the Chinese panel considered this pear sample to be fruity and have an harmonious flavor, whereas the Korean panel - which was less familiar with the sample - considered its flavor unharmonious.

CONCLUSION

Previous cross-cultural studies have often found that food acceptance levels vary markedly with the degree of familiarity with target foodstuffs. However, unlike other food categories, the difference seems relatively small for fruits that are commonly available across cultures. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

A cross-cultural study of acceptability and food pairing for hot sauces

This study was conducted to understand the acceptance levels of hot sauces among consumers from different culinary cultures. Two newly developed hot sauces [fermented red chili pepper with soybean-paste-based sauce(GS) and fermented red chili-pepper-based sauce(KS)] were compared with Tabasco sauce(TB) and Sriracha sauce(SR). Two separate cross-cultural home-use tests(HUTs) were conducted: pizza and cream soup were provided as food items in HUT 1, whereas grilled chicken wings and rice noodle soup were provided in HUT 2. Consumers residing in Denmark, South Korea, and US participated in each HUT (n≅100 per country). Acceptance levels and the reasons for (dis)liking particular hot sauces applied to food systems were assessed. The food items that paired well with different hot sauces when the sauces were applied freely to regular meals were also analyzed among the US and Korean subjects. When the hot-sauce samples were applied to pizza and cream soup, the preferred order of the samples exhibited a cross-cultural agreement (GS = KS > TB). In the case of grilled chicken and rice noodle soup, the acceptance rating was similar for the three types of hot sauces among Koreans, whereas the acceptance was higher for SR among the US subjects for both foodstuffs, while Danish subjects preferred GS and KS over SR. The US subjects did not like hot-sauce samples with sweet and weak spiciness, whereas the Korean and Danish subjects disliked the hot-sauce sample when it was too spicy and not sufficiently sweet. These findings indicate that the matching of particular sauces with specific food items is culture-dependent, and this needs to be considered when trying to export food products such as hot sauce to other countries.

Multiple-sip temporal dominance of sensations associated with acceptance test: a study on special beers

In this study, we proposed the use of a multiple-sip temporal dominance of sensations (TDS) test alongside with an acceptance test over repeated consumption for the analysis of special beers, with the aim of contributing to a deeper understanding of consumer behavior regarding temporal descriptions and sensory acceptance. Consumers of special beers sequentially evaluated six sips of a particular type of beer by TDS analysis and an acceptance test was performed for each sip. Four different kinds of specialty beers were evaluated [Bohemian Pilsner (BP), Witbier (WB), Belgian Strong Ale Dubbel (BD), and Russian Imperial Stout (RS)]. In general, the descriptive profile of beers varied temporally, i.e., there was an increased dominance of bitterness and a decreased dominance of fruity, floral, toffee, and coffee attributes. Concurrently, a reduction in sensory acceptance with an increased number of sips, especially the last sip, was observed in two kinds of beers that possessed a strong flavor, BD and RS. BP and WB presented smooth attributes and low notable characteristics, which could have contributed to the maintenance of the acceptance grades as the number of sips increased. The combination of TDS and acceptance over repeated sips can be useful for obtaining detailed descriptions of products that are closer to real time consumption by consumers, and thus aids in ensuring good product performance once released. The information obtained can also help product development scientists to fine-tune product formulations and ensure acceptability.

Importance of Applying Condiments in a Commonly Consumed Food System for Understanding the Association Between Familiarity and Sensory Drivers of Liking: A Study Focused on Doenjang

Doenjang, a Korean traditional fermented soybean paste, is one of the most essential condiments in Korean cuisine. Condiments are rarely consumed as it is, and are generally applied to other foods. The objective of this study was to understand how sensory drivers of liking of Doenjang would be affected according to food forms in which it is evaluated: the original paste form compared with a normally consumed soup form, and to understand the association of familiarity of evaluated food form. Descriptive analysis and consumer acceptability test was performed in 2 consumption forms: the original paste form and the Doenjang soup from. For consumer liking test, elderly consumers who have more experience to traditional Deonjang were compared to the young in their response to Doenjang paste and soup. The descriptive analysis results showed that the characteristic sensory features of the Deonjang samples were little affected based on the food system in which it was evaluated. However, when the paste was applied in soup, the intensities of the characteristic sensory features were reduced. Acceptability and familiarity of traditional type Doenjang samples for the young and for the elderly consumers were very similar in paste, but it differed when the samples were evaluated in soup. Thus, expectation difference between the young and the elderly was better revealed in soup, a more common food form consumed in practice. The results of this study indicate the importance of understanding sensory drivers of liking for a condiment such as Doenjang in their commonly consumed forms.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

Compared to the original condiment form, expectation difference between the young and the elderly were better revealed in Deonjang soup, a food form normally consumed in practice. Thus, the results of this study reinforced the importance of investigating sensory drivers of liking for a condiment in a food form that is normally consumed in practice for accurate understanding on consumer preference.

Exploration of flavor familiarity effect in Korean and US consumers' hot sauces perceptions

The present work explored how consumers' product perceptions differ when flavor familiarity with the product set varied. Half of the samples used in this study contained fermented ingredients (fermented red pepper or gochujang, a traditional Korean fermented soybean/red pepper paste), and the others were top selling hot sauce products in the US market. Free-choice profiling was performed by Korean and US consumers and was analyzed using GPA. Descriptive analysis was conducted and analyzed using PCA. While Korean and US consumers perceived product similarly along the first principal dimension which described distinctive sensory differences among the products, in the next principal dimension, it was found that these consumers perceived the products differently. Observations indicated that this discrepancy seemed to be originated from differences in flavor familiarity. This study showed flavor familiarity not only influences one's preference but also may influence perception of foods such as hot sauces.