Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the perception and utilization of salted seafood in Korean women. We also asked them about their opinions on how to increase the production range of popular salted seafood. Data were collected from 1,137 women and were analyzed with SAS 9.1 program. Women aged between 40 and 59 had higher positive perception of salted seafood than women aged between 20 and 39. The older age group (i.e. 40 to 59) believed that the production of salted seafood, such as like as Kimchi and soy sauce, should be globalized because of their taste and nutritional value. However, the younger age group (i.e. 20 to 39) had negative perceptions of salted seafood because of their unhygienic production and excess amount of salt. Women aged 50 and over used salted seafood frequently as a side dish or seasoning to make Kimchi, stew, or soup. The younger age group preferred to purchase a small package (200g or less) of salted seafoods from the grocery store instead of preparing it themselves. When purchasing salted seafood, they considered the taste, manufacturer, and expiration date. Finally, all interviewees agreed on the importance of salted seafood as part of traditional Korean cuisine, and wanted to see further local development. However, manufacturing and packaging processes need to be standardized, and hygiene and nutritional contents should be improved in order to achieve good quality local production. To succeed and develop high quality salted seafood, younger consumers need to be enticed with better nutritional value, taste, and hygienic production. Furthermore, the production range of popular salted seafood needs to be expanded beyond Kimchi and Soy Sauce. Hence new recipes are needed.