A Study on Zinc and Copper Contents of Korean Traditional Foods

우리나라 전통음식 중 아연과 구리 함량에 관한 조사 연구

The content of zinc and copper were analyzed and compared for five favorite traditional Korean dishes. The purpose of the research was to substantiate traditional Korean foods, which are good sources of these two minerals, to emphasize the importance of the minerals and to improve nutritional conditions. Foods were collected from institutional food services and Korean restaurants. The result of the analysis of the minerals are listed below. 1. When the survey was done on the preference and the frequency of intake of 106 Korean traditional dishes, the most popular food item was soybean paste stew (doenjangchigae); the second, barbecued beef (pulgogi): the third, cooked rice with assorted vegetables (pibimpap): the fourth, grilled fishes : the fifth, spicy beef vegetable soup (yukkaejang). The frequency of intake of eating these dishes was also very high. 2. The average one serving portion of each of the five dishes from institutional food services and Korean restaurants are as follows. The average one serving size of cooked rice with assorted vegetables of the two systems were 451.2g and 403.0g; spicy beef vegetable soup, 379.3g and 512.3g; soybean paste stew, 292.0g and 278.8g; barbecued beef, 76.1g and 202.5g: grilled croaker(chogi, fish), 47.5g and 36.5g, and grilled spanish mackerel(samchi, fish), 60.0g and 250.0g. The differences of the average one serving portion between the two systems were very significant. 3. The total average zinc content of each of the five dishes from the two different systems were analyzed. The zinc content of cooked rice ith assorted vegetables from institutional food services was 4.3mg and that from Korean restaurants was 2.9mg; spicy beef vegetable soup, 1. 7mg and 3.2mg: sybean pste stew, 1.4mg and 1.6mg: barbecued beef, 1.9mg and 4.3mg; grilled croaker, 0.5mg and 0.4mg; grilled spanish mackerel, 0.8mg and 2.7mg. The difference between the average of total zinc content of two systems were not statistically significant. 4. The average total copper content of each item from the two different systems were compared. The average total copper content of barbecued beef from institutional food services was 692.4$\mu\textrm{g}$ and that from Korean restaurants was 502.5$\mu\textrm{g}$. The value of the institutional food services system was significantly higher(p＜0.05). Spicy beef vegetable soup, 161.1$\mu\textrm{g}$ and 208.3$\mu\textrm{g}$: soybean paste soup, 290.5$\mu\textrm{g}$ and 308.5$\mu\textrm{g}$; barbecued beef, 217.7$\mu\textrm{g}$ and 339.l$\mu\textrm{g}$: grilled croaker, 51.7$\mu\textrm{g}$ and 44.l$\mu\textrm{g}$; grilled spanish mackerel, 92.0$\mu\textrm{g}$ and 265.2$\mu\textrm{g}$. The difference of the two systems was not significant. 5. The zinc contents per 100g each of five traditional Korean dishes were barbecued beef, 2.2mg, grilled spanish mackerel, 1.2mg, grilled croaker, 1.1mg, cooked rice with assorted vegetables, 0.8mg, soybean paste stew, 0.6mg, spicy beef vegetable soup, 0.5mg. The copper contents were; barbecued beef, 203.0$\mu\textrm{g}$, cooked rice with assorted vegetables, 138.7$\mu\textrm{g}$, grilled spanish mackerel, 137.9$\mu\textrm{g}$, grilled croaker, 119.l$\mu\textrm{g}$, soybean paste stew, 105.l$\mu\textrm{g}$, spicy beef vegetable soup, 40.5$\mu\textrm{g}$.