Journal of Sensory Studies最新文献

This study examined the effect of texture, music, and smell on the taste and pleasantness of food. Fifty-three volunteers assessed the bitterness and sweetness of carrots of three different textures (puréed, boiled, and chipped) while listening to music and/or smelling vanilla or coffee and evaluated the pleasantness of food with music, with smell alone, and with music and smell together. The auditory and olfactory stimuli used were either congruent or incongruent with bitter-tasting and sweet-tasting foods. We found that music or smell modulated food taste only when they were congruent with it. While congruent music or smell, presented alone, affected taste and hedonic valuation, their simultaneous presentation did not show a comparable effect. Further experiments with different stimuli or a combination of modalities would be necessary to draw final conclusions on whether the concurrent presentation of music and smell has an additive effect on taste.

We examined the cross-cultural sensory experiences of Baijiu, with a focus on the roles of novelty and familiarity in shaping these mixed, sometimes paradoxical, sensations. We considered international tourists tasting Baijiu in China, with thousands of years of history in wine-making. Content analysis was employed to analyze 43 reviews selected from 137 TripAdvisor entries. Themes emerged from coding and interpretation, enhanced by cluster analysis. We found that drinking involvement and the atmosphere amplified the persuasive influence of acquaintances, regions, and places in creating exotic drinking adventures. Familiarity enhanced pleasurable sensory experiences more than novelty because a higher level of risk was associated with trying exotic drinks. Paradoxical discourse surrounding Baijiu was influenced by various intrinsic attributes, situated within the broader context of the regional wine cultural complex. These insights have important marketing implications for liquor manufacturers and place-based branding challenges in the context of a rapidly globalizing marketplace.

Bundling a new product with popular products is a common strategy for new product introduction. In order to investigate the influence of the bundle design on consumers' perceptions and evaluations, we conducted two experiments to examine how the color contrast between the packaging of the new and popular yogurt products within the same bundles affected participants' ratings of the new products. In Experiment 1, 80 participants were asked to rate their taste expectations concerning the new products without flavor labels but bundled with popular products. The results revealed that the color contrast between the red packaging of the new products and the yellow packaging of the popular products reduced the expected sourness of the new products. In Experiment 2, 80 participants rated the attention they paid to and the expected prices of the new products bundled with popular products. The results revealed that high color contrast between the packaging of the new and bundled popular products could attract more attention to the new products and lead to higher expected prices. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that the color contrast between the packaging of new and popular products can affect consumers' expectations concerning the new products in bundles. These findings suggest that the strategic use of color contrast may attract consumers' attention to the new products and increase their price expectations, which has direct implications in the design of product bundles.

Kimchi is a flavor trend in the United States (USA). Although kimchi commonly is thought of as a cabbage-based product, it actually takes many forms. The term “kimchi” is used widely as a general term used to describe different types of lactic acid fermented vegetables. There are multiple types of and ways to prepare kimchi and currently no standard exists for the definition of kimchi. Variations of cabbage, radish, cucumber, and miscellaneous vegetable kimchi all with various spices, seasonings, degrees of fermentation, and other preparation methods (e.g., heat processing) are available in the USA. Typically, kimchi can be described as having a sweet, sour, spicy, and “carbonated” flavor with a combination of firm, crisp, and chewy textures, but different ingredient/seasoning combinations give each kimchi a unique profile. Because kimchi flavors are becoming more popular in the USA, this paper developed a sensory lexicon for a wide array of kimchi, including specific flavor references, in order to enable researchers to measure and compare sensory characteristics for various flavor profiles. This lexicon was used to test a range of commercially available kimchi in the USA to attempt to define various categories of kimchi.

The food industry uses visual sensory attributes of the products to communicate with consumers, both in physical locations and online platforms. Recent technological advancements, particularly interactive digital interfaces, have made visual cues even more influential in food marketing. This study evaluates the synergistic effects of different menu formats and visual sensory cues in shifting consumer preferences toward sustainable food options, addressing the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A traditional Turkish rice pudding was used as a case study. Four sample variants with varying visual textural complexities were prepared by halving the standard portion size and layering it gradually with soft, crispy, crunchy, and airy foods. Using Blender software, two sets of 3D visuals—non-informative (photographs only) and informative (photographs with product information)—were created for control and four variants and placed side by side. These visuals were then transferred to three different menu formats: paper, 2D touch screen, and 3D touch screen. A total of 180 participants evaluated the visuals via the assigned menu formats. Multivariate ANOVA was used to analyze the results. Participants consistently preferred the variant with three textural layers (soft, crispy, and crunchy) over the traditional dessert, regardless of menu formats and experimental conditions (p > 0.05), leading to a reduction in carbon emissions by over 30%. The 2D touch screen slightly increased preference rates and reduced variability compared to other formats. This supports the Variety-Seeking Behavior Theory, Elaboration Likelihood Model, and Cognitive Load Theory, suggesting that this format imposes optimal cognitive load and is the most engaging.