Effect of added hydrolyzed vegetable proteins on consumers' response for Doenjang (Korean traditional fermented soybean paste) soup.

Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) has received wide attention as a flavor enhancer that can replace monosodium glutamate (MSG). The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of added acid-hydrolyzed vegetable protein (aHVP) and enzyme-hydrolyzed vegetable protein (eHVP) on consumers' responses of Korean Doenjang soup. One hundred and twenty female consumers who consume Doenjang soup on a regular basis were participated in consumer test of 8 Doenjang soup samples containing a flavor enhancer such as aHVP, eHVP, or MSG. The results indicated that the HVPs showed flavor-enhancing effects similar to those of MSG, respectively. It was also found that consumers preferred specific aHVP- or eHVP-added samples to MSG-added samples. These findings suggest that HVP could be used as a flavor enhancer in Doenjang products such as Doenjang soup.

Consumer perception of balsamic vinegar: A cross-cultural study between Korea and Italy.

Understanding cross-cultural differences in food perception is a key issue of food research in order to understand consumer behaviour in different countries. The objective of this study was to explore potential cultural differences of balsamic vinegar perception between Korean and Italian consumers using the sorted napping method. Nine balsamic vinegars different in terms of ingredients, aging time, and origin were evaluated by Korean (n=50) and Italian (n=49) consumers using sorted napping. Familiarity and food matching were also examined. Descriptive analysis was performed to verify the attitude of the consumers in product description. The results obtained from two groups of consumers in Korea and Italy revealed a higher description attitude of the Italians (higher number of total elicited attributes, of attributes in common with the trained panel, of attributes shared with the vocabulary reported in literature, of significant specific positive product-attribute associations). Italian subjects generated various descriptors associated with the European gastronomic culture (aromatic herbs, fortified wine, dried figs, Indian fig, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese), whereas Korean consumers used more terms related to the Asian food culture (red ginseng, Chinese medicine, Japanese apricot, teriyaki sauce, persimmon vinegar, balloon flower roots). Moreover, cultural differences of food matching were also observed: the Italians would pair the balsamic vinegars mainly with vegetables, fruits and cheese, while Koreans would combine the balsamic vinegars preferably with bread, vegetables and meat. In conclusion, familiarity resulted the main factors for cross-cultural differentiation.