A Survey on Elementary School Children's Perception and Preference of Kimchi

초등학생의 김치 섭취에 대한 의식 및 기호도 조사

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the perception and preference of Kimchi among the elementary school children. The survey was conducted via questionnaire to 439 elementary school children(224 males and 215 females) who lived in Seongnam. 77.2% of the surveyed children had an affirmative opinion of Kimchi intake. Children regarded Kimchi as traditional, nutritious, healthy, fermented and delicious food. It also revealed that the higher grade($4{\sim}6$ grade) students were more awareness in Korean traditional fermented healthy food as for Kimchi than the lower grade($1{\sim}3$ grade) students. They should eat Kimchi mainly because Kimchi is good for health(82.9%), nutritious food(62.9%), our traditional food(58.3%), and delicious food(41.5%). 73.9% of the children responded that the parents influenced on their consumption of Kimchi, but 16.5% of the children answered that their parents did not meddle. 67.3% of the children liked Kimchi, whereas 5.3% of them disliked it. The preference of Kimchi was significantly higher for lower grade students than for higher grade students. The main reason liking Kimchi was hot taste(60.8%) of Kimchi, and then texture of chewing(59.0%), taste of freshness (29.2%), cool taste(28.7%), and peculiar taste(26.9%) of Kimchi in order. The majority reasons for dislike the Kimchi were salty taste, hot taste, not eat oftenly, smell, appearance of Kimchi in order. The hot taste of Kimchi was the number one reason of their diskike of Kimchi, especially for lower grade students and female students, and it was the most important reason for those also like Kimchi. The children preferred the a little hot taste of Kimchi, properly fermented Kimchi, medium amount of seasoning in Kimchi, and any parts of Baechu in Kimchi.