Abstract
Purpose: This research was conducted to provide basic data on Kimchi consumption of high school students by determining their recognition and preferences related to Kimchi. Methods: Our survey was administered to 450 high school students in the Incheon area from September 1 to October 30, 2015. A total of 412 questionnaires were used for the final analysis. Results: Most students (42.6%) consumed Kimchi every meal (more than 3 meals/day), and only 3.6% did not consume Kimchi at all. The most common reason for consuming Kimchi was 'tasty' (46.4%). On the other hand, those who did not consume Kimchi cited 'preference for other side dishes' (50.0%). 'Home-made Kimchi' was the most common source of consumed Kimchi (63.0%). With respect to recognition of Kimchi, most cited terms were 'traditional' ($4.64{\pm}0.58$), followed by 'healthy' ($4.30{\pm}0.77$) and 'prefer home-made' ($3.88{\pm}0.93$) (p<0.001). The average preference for Kimchi was $3.71{\pm}1.07$. The most common reason for preferences was 'crisp texture' (37.6%). The most popular flavor was 'spicy' (33.6%), and the most popular fermentation level was 'appropriate' (55.6%). When preferences for Kimchi were further analyzed, 'baechu Kimchi' (4.18) was the most popular. Further, Kimchi is a popular ingredient for many dishes, and the most popular dish was 'stir-fried pork with Kimchi' (4.50). Conclusion: In the future, positive recognition of Kimchi consumption can be promoted through nutrition education and various advertisements. Furthermore, efforts should be made to establish the principles of traditional Korean food for students.
