Consumer Preference of Traditional Korean Soy Sauce (Ganjang) and Its Relationship with Sensory Attributes and Physicochemical Properties

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the physicochemical characteristics, sensory attributes, and consumer acceptance of the Certification of Quality of Traditional Food (CQT) ganjang samples produced in different provinces of Korea. Wide variations in physicochemical properties were found among the samples, especially in lipids, total nitrogen, acidity, and reducing sugar. Traditional fermented foods are known to be closely tied to regional features, but the composition and characteristics of CQT ganjangs might be influenced much more by individual ganjang producers than by region. Preference mapping was performed to understand consumer behavior towards ganjang, and most consumers tended to have similar preferences, implying shared a common sensory ideal. The results of the partial least squares regression revealed drivers of liking for ganjang among sensory attributes, free amino acids, and organic acids. Overall, sensory attributes such as sweetness and umami were positively associated with acceptability, while the terms related to fermentation were negatively associated. In addition, amino acids, such as threonine, serine, proline, glutamate, aspartate, and lysine, and organic acids, such as lactate and malate, were positively associated with consumer acceptance. The important implications of the findings of this study for the food industry can be utilized to develop and optimize traditional foods.

Flavor Characterization of Traditional Fermented Soybean Pastes from Northeast China and Korea

“…The reduced sugar concentration of the soybean pastes ranged from 0.4% to 4.5%, and the average content of reducing sugar in group K was 6.28 times higher than that in group C. This may be attributed to the special step (solid-liquid separation), which was performed during the production process of doenjang. Kim et al [41] and Byeon et al [42] found that the contents of reduced sugar in Korean doenjang (solid) and Ganjang (liquid) ranged from 1.12 to 14.19 g/100 g and from 0.12 to 1.46 g/100 mL, respectively, with a mean value of 4.93 g/100 g and 0.72 g/100 mL. Reducing sugar serves as a carbon source for microbial growth during the fermentation of the soybean paste and participates in the Mallard reaction to form the color and harmonize the taste of the soybean paste.…”