• Korean journal of food and cookery science
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.413-421
• /
• 2012

This study was conducted with 418 adults 20 years or older, all of whom lived in Daegu and Gyeongbuk. According to a survey, the number of females was greater than that of males (40.7%) by 59.3%, and that for ages 30 years was the highest. The preference for Korean traditional drinks was relatively high at 51.8%, and the frequency of drinking Korean traditional drinks was 39.0%. The adults answered that they had these beverages on special days such as holidays, ritual days, and birthdays. Among the reasons for drinking a traditional beverage 'good taste' scored the highest with 27.0% of respondents, followed by 'Korean traditional food' with 24.4%. The recognition of Korean traditional drinks was high in the order of Sikhe, Soojunggwa, Cha, and Hwachae. The preference for Sikhe was the highest. The group who agreed that it was important to develop a Korean functional traditional drink was 11.5% higher than that of the negative group, as 13.4% 'agreed a lot' and 41.1% 'agreed'. Consumer awareness toward traditional drink functionality was generally positive, with 3.5 points or higher on average, and awareness of the nutritional supplementation, diabetes control, the recuperative effects of the drinks were also high. Among Korean traditional drinks Sikhe was the highest with regard to intention to purchase. As a result, the popularization of traditional Korean drinks was based on three factors: quality oriented image, popularity oriented image, and product attribute-oriented image. These factors significantly influenced the preference for and purchase of Korean functional traditional drinks.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.42 no.8
• /
• pp.1325-1334
• /
• 2013

The purposes of the study were to assess the multicultural competencies and to identify potential barriers toward improving multicultural competencies of food and nutrition majors at the university level. A total of 500 students were surveyed and 457 responses were analyzed for the study. The multicultural competencies, based on a literature review, included food culture knowledge, multicultural attitude, and multicultural skills. Approximately half of the respondents took a food culture class as a college course. The food and nutrition majors showed positive multicultural attitudes; however, food culture knowledge scores for traditional Korean food culture and 11 other food cultures remained low (average score: 63.7 out of 100 points). In addition, familiarity with cultural foods and knowledge of food-related cultures were not necessarily related. As a result of factor analysis, multicultural skills, required for dietitians, were classified into three factors: professional skills, food preparation skills, and communication skills. Overall, students rated their professional skills the highest and communication skills the lowest. Multicultural attitudes and skills increased with school years, and students who took a food culture class showed significantly higher multicultural attitudes and knowledge scores compared to their counterparts. Economical issues, lack of time, and lack of opportunities for learning multicultural competencies in majors and experiencing different cultures were highly rated potential barriers for improving multicultural competencies. Our research indicates that food and nutrition educators should review their curriculums to incorporate content that encourages food and nutrition majors to learn about other food cultures and improve their multicultural competency. These skills will be critical for food and nutrition professionals in the multicultural age.