Influences of appearance characteristics on consumer acceptance and perception of “gu‐soo” in fermented soybean paste (doenjang)

AbstractDoenjang is a traditional Korean soybean‐based fermented food. Previous research indicates that appearance‐related characteristics, such as color, number of beans, and bean‐to‐paste ratio, and moisture content, influence consumers' perceptions of traditional doenjang. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of appearance characteristics on consumer preference and gu‐soo perception of doenjang. Four commercially available doenjang products from the same brand were selected, and appearance‐related characteristics including color, the number of soybeans in a paste, and electronic eye color measurements were measured. Descriptive sensory analysis using a highly trained panel (n = 5) was conducted, followed by consumer acceptance testing (n = 76). Samples highly liked by consumers had strong sweet taste, and least like doenjang had darker color and greater numbers of beans in a paste. However, doenjang samples that were highly liked by consumers are not necessarily the samples perceived as gu‐soo by consumers. While manufacturers' use of gu‐soo to describe the sensory characteristics of doenjang is a common practice, this study reveals a disparity between consumers' perceptions of gu‐soo and the manufacturer's advertising of gu‐soo. This study reports divergence between the results for overall liking of doenjang and consumers' perception of the product being considered gu‐soo.Practical ApplicationsThe term “gu‐soo” is widely used in Korea to describe the flavor characteristics of doenjang. This study focuses on factors affecting consumer acceptance and gu‐soo perceptions of doenjang, revealing that the appeal of doenjang to the consumer does not necessarily align with consumers' perception of doenjang being gu‐soo. The divergent sensory directions of consumer acceptance and doenjang being perceived as gu‐soo suggest a potential change in direction in marketing doenjang in Korea.