A cross-cultural comparison of the sensory characteristics of perilla oil by American, Chinese, and Korean panels

This study was conducted to characterize and compare via sensory descriptive analysis the sensory properties of perilla oil products that are processed in different ways (roasted vs. non-roasted) and to perform a cross-cultural comparison of the sensory descriptions of this product set among 3 sensory panels (Korean, Chinese, and American). The Korean, Chinese, and American panelists generated 18, 12, and 16 sensory attributes, respectively, to describe the odor of the products. The Korean panel generated more attributes than the Chinese and American panels. Panelists from the 3 different regions used descriptors that were related to their individual experiences or cultural backgrounds and the odor attributes of American panelists were included references to nonfood products. These results show that culture and familiarity affect the perception of sensory attributes and the description of this product set.