Ker Jung-Kuei, Chiang Ming-Chen, Lee Ching-Sung, Chen Yen-Cheng
Ph.D. Program in Nutrition and Food Science, College of Human Ecology, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 242062, Taiwan.
Department of Food Beverage Management, Mackay Junior College of Medicine, Nursing and Management, Taipei 112021, Taiwan.
Foods. 2025 Jul 7;14(13):2398. doi: 10.3390/foods14132398.
Vinegar functions not only as a sensory enhancer but also as a culturally embedded culinary element across global food systems. In Taiwanese cuisine, black vinegar represents a traditional staple, particularly associated with dumpling consumption, whereas Italian balsamic vinegar is renowned for its aromatic complexity and nuanced sweetness, highly esteemed in Western gastronomy. Despite their culinary significance, limited empirical research has examined how these culturally distinct condiments are perceived when applied beyond their traditional contexts, especially in iconic national dishes. This study investigates Taiwanese consumers' cross-cultural sensory responses to dumplings paired with either local black vinegar or imported balsamic vinegar. Through a structured sensory evaluation encompassing appearance, aroma, taste, and overall impression, this research explores how sensory cues and cultural expectations interact to shape flavor preferences. The results indicate that although visual attributes were rated similarly, balsamic vinegar's distinctive aroma and taste elicited significantly greater sensory engagement, suggesting a latent openness to reinterpretation and hybridization within established food practices. These findings were supported by one-way ANOVA results, which revealed significant differences among the three groups for aroma (F = 6.30, < 0.01), taste (F = 7.21, < 0.01), and overall evaluation (F = 15.15, < 0.001). By integrating sensory analysis with cultural food studies, this research advances the understanding of how multisensory cues influence consumer acceptance across cultural contexts. It further highlights the dynamic interplay between cultural familiarity and sensory novelty in flavor perception. These insights yield practical implications for culinary innovation, global flavor localization, and the development of culturally responsive food products.
醋不仅是一种感官增强剂，也是全球食品体系中一种具有文化内涵的烹饪元素。在台湾美食中，黑醋是一种传统主食，尤其与吃饺子相关，而意大利香醋则以其浓郁的香气和细腻的甜味而闻名，在西方美食中备受推崇。尽管它们在烹饪中具有重要意义，但实证研究有限，尚未考察这些文化上不同的调味品在传统语境之外使用时，尤其是在标志性的国菜中，会被如何感知。本研究调查了台湾消费者对搭配当地黑醋或进口香醋的饺子的跨文化感官反应。通过一项包括外观、香气、味道和整体印象的结构化感官评估，本研究探讨了感官线索和文化期望如何相互作用以塑造风味偏好。结果表明，尽管视觉属性的评分相似，但香醋独特的香气和味道引发了显著更高的感官参与度，这表明在既定的饮食习俗中，人们对重新诠释和融合存在潜在的开放性。这些发现得到了单因素方差分析结果的支持，该结果显示三组在香气（F = 6.30，< 0.01）、味道（F = 7.21，< 0.01）和整体评价（F = 15.15，< 0.001）方面存在显著差异。通过将感官分析与文化食品研究相结合，本研究推进了对多感官线索如何影响跨文化背景下消费者接受度的理解。它进一步强调了文化熟悉度和感官新奇性在风味感知中的动态相互作用。这些见解对烹饪创新、全球风味本地化以及具有文化适应性的食品产品开发具有实际意义。
