Abstract
We investigated the quality characteristics of fermented ginseng Yakju produced using different percentage contents and application dates of ginseng. Although the pH of fermented ginseng Yakju was not significantly different among the various treatment groups, the total acidity was changed depending on the percentage of ginseng content. the application date of ginseng did not influence the total acid content. The amount of volatile acids was higher at a 0.2~0.3% content of white or red ginseng than in other treatment groups. The ginsenoside contents of white and red ginseng used for making ginseng Yakju were 3,555.0 and 4,447.4 ppm, respectively. In ginseng Yakju, total ginsenoside contents were detected at very small amounts of <10 ppm. A total of 15 volatile components were detected in ginseng Yakju. Higher levels of methanol were produced at early application dates. In sensory evaluations, the preference for aroma was higher at white ginseng levels of 0.5% and 1.0% than for other treatment groups, and the taste was judged to be best at a white ginseng content of 0.3%. In the red ginseng treatment group, a red ginseng content of 0.3% was most preferred for both aroma and taste. The taste preference for white ginseng was at 4 days after application, while the taste of the red ginseng treated group was good at the beginning of fermentation.
