A Study on the Consumption of Korean Traditional Rice Cakes by College Students

The purpose of this study was to investigate the consumption patterns of traditional Korean rice cake among college students. Self administered questionnaires were collected from 512 college students in the Seoul, Kyunggi, Chungchung, Kyungsang, Junla and Gangwondo areas. The data were statistically analysed using frequency analysis, chi-squared and t-tests and a one-way ANOVA. By examining the results of the student's perceptions of traditional Korean rice cake, it was found that most know little, or only a moderate amount, about this type of food. Meanwhile, more than half the students liked traditional Korean rice cake, as this type of food satisfied their need for a traditional Korean taste, while the reason for disliking was that they were more familiar with western-style confectionary. Most students answered that they only ate traditional Korean rice cake on special occasions, such as big holidays or ceremonies for the dead ancestors. Most answered that they bought those foods at conventional markets, the mile in the neighborhood, (Eds note: I dont't understand, do you mean, “within a mile of their neighborhood”\ulcorner) or atbig malls. The factor they considered the most important at the time of purchase was the quality (taste), which demonstrates the need for the development of traditional Korean rice cakes, with new tastes and shapes, which still satisfy the Korean's taste, whilemaintaining the traditional taste. For the questions that asked about the problems faced by the traditional Korean rice cake manufacturing industry, and the reasons for low consumption, the students responded that buying this type of food was difficult as the outlets selling themwere not easy to find. Our results seem to suggest that there are almost no specialty stores for the sale of traditional Korean rice cake compared to the other types of cakes that are scattered all over the country. (Eds note: this is only my opinion, and I maybe wrong, but I would have thought that trying to market traditional Korean rice cakes at local convenience stores, rather than speciality stores, would make them more available to the general public. Their marketing at speciality stores will maintain the status quo, i.e. people will go to the speciality stores to purchase product for holidays and special occasions, whereas they will go to the local convenience stores to buy general everyday snacks etc.)

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