Variations in U.S. Consumers’ Acceptability of Korean Rice Cake, Seolgitteok, with respect to Sensory Attributes and Nonsensory Factors

Abstract

Because the Korean rice cake, Seolgitteok, is mainly prepared with rice flour containing no gluten-protein associated with celiac disease, it can be considered for inclusion in a gluten-free diet. However, Western consumers may be unlikely to enjoy the plain flavor and chewy texture of Seolgitteok. This study aimed to determine both sensory and nonsensory factors that might affect U.S. consumers' acceptability of Seolgitteok. A total of 119 U.S. consumers rated 5 Seolgitteok samples, differentiated by descriptive sensory analysis, with respect to hedonic impression and just-about-right aspects of sensory attributes. Nonsensory factors such as demographic profile, innovativeness, social representation, sensation-seeking, and personality traits were also assessed. Addition levels of brown rice flour (0% to 100%) and sugar (5% to 20%) not only enriched flavor, but also lessened chewiness of Seolgitteok, thereby increasing an overall hedonic impression. Moreover, consumer acceptability of Seolgitteok varied with respect to nonsensory factors. Seolgitteok was more appreciated by males, sensation seekers, and individuals constrained by social desirability than by other groups. In conclusion, these findings demonstrate that U.S. consumers' acceptability of Seolgitteok varies not only by sensory attributes such as rice flavor, sweetness, and chewiness, but also by nonsensory factors such as gender, sensation-seeking characteristics, and personality traits.

Variations in U.S. consumers' acceptability of commercially‐available rice‐based milk alternatives with respect to sensory attributes and food neophobia traits

“…Table provides mean comparisons in terms of hedonic ratings of attributes and overall impressions as a function of demographic profiles and frequency of rice‐based milk alternative consumption. Demographic profiles such as gender and age group have been found to influence consumer acceptability of food and beverages (Cho et al, ; Laaksonen, Knaapila, Niva, Deegan, & Sandell, ). While females in contrast to males have been found to exhibit less preference for unfamiliar or novel foods (Alley & Burroughs, ; Cho et al, ), gender‐related differences in food acceptability have not been consistently found in earlier studies (D'Antuono & Bignami, ).…”

“…Demographic profiles such as gender and age group have been found to influence consumer acceptability of food and beverages (Cho et al, ; Laaksonen, Knaapila, Niva, Deegan, & Sandell, ). While females in contrast to males have been found to exhibit less preference for unfamiliar or novel foods (Alley & Burroughs, ; Cho et al, ), gender‐related differences in food acceptability have not been consistently found in earlier studies (D'Antuono & Bignami, ). In the present study, gender was found to exert no significant effects on hedonic ratings of overall appearance ( p = 0.24), overall aroma ( p = 0.93), overall flavor ( p = 0.99), overall texture ( p = 0.16), and overall impression ( p = 0.51) among the RMA samples.…”

“…It has been found that consumer acceptability of food or beverage items varies not only by sensory attributes, but also by individual consumer-related factors such as demographic profiles and personality traits (Alley & Burroughs, 1999;Cho et al, 2016;Rozin & Tuorila, 1993;Wu, Ross, Morris, & Murphy, 2017). In particular, food neophobia traits, defined as "a reluctance to eat and/or avoidance of novel foods" (Pliner & Hobden, 1992), have been found to affect consumer acceptability of new or unfamiliar foods (Choe & Cho, 2011;Samant et al, 2018).…”

Cross‐cultural consumer acceptability of cooked aromatic (cv. Heukhyangchal) and non‐aromatic (cv. Sinnongheukchal) black rice with different milling degrees

“…Penalty analysis was conducted to identify how much each sensory attribute affected the overall impression of rice samples; this information is useful for guiding product improvement (Cho et al, 2016). Stepwise multivariate regression analysis was performed to investigate the contribution of hedonic ratings of each attribute on the overall acceptability of the samples and countries.…”

Cross‐cultural comparisons between Korean and U.S. adults with respect to texture perception and acceptance of cooked milled rice

“…For the JAR scale data, a penalty analysis was used to identify how much each texture attribute affected the overall liking of cooked rice samples. JAR was determined when the percentage of the JAR score was greater than 70%, and no more than 20% of responses were on either minus (−) or plus (+) side of the scale (Cho et al ., ).…”