This study was conducted to identify sensory characteristics of soy-meat samples by trained panel, and to observe the relationship with consumer acceptability of these samples by consumers. Descriptive analysis was performed on 8 samples; 4 types of patty style soy-meat samples(Soy-meat Patty; SP) which made by Ddukgalbi recipe (YSP, VSP, LSP and SSP) and 4 types of Bulgogi style soy-meat samples(Soy-meat Bulgogi; SB) which made by Bulgogi recipe(YSB, VSB, LSB and SSB). Seven panelists was trained, and they evaluated the appearance, odor/aroma, flavor/taste, texture/mouth feel, and after taste attributes of these samples. Forty attributes were generated by panelists and thirty seven attribute were significantly different across products (?<0.05). It was found that the SB group was characterized by beef taste, leek taste, garlic taste, wetness, denseness, slipperiness, chewiness and pepper after taste. In case of VSB sample had significant high rate on brown, appearance wetness and beef taste attribute(?<0.05). On the other hand, SP group was characterized by roughness, particle size, rancid oil smell, row bean smell, astringent after feeing, sour and adhesiveness.
Consumer acceptability test (n=125) was conducted on the 8 kinds of soy-meat samples. The results showed that VSB sample had the highest score on appearance liking, flavor liking, texture liking and overall liking. Whereas, the LSP sample had significantly low (ρ<0.05) scores for the acceptance ratings. According to the JAR test, the VSB sample was most suitable product on chewing intensity, palatability intensity, moistness intensity, beef flavor intensity, and the PLSR and CATA results showed that the attributes that were more positively associated with acceptance of the soy-meat samples were beef taste, wetness, and chewiness, acting as drivers of liking, whereas the row bean smell and racy flavor attributes were negative characteristics and acted as drivers of disliking for those consumers.
Further cross-cultural consumer acceptance testing combined with descriptive data of this study would enable identification of the drivers of liking/disliking of soy-meat products by panels of different countries in the context of increasing food product exports to other countries.