Foods associated with descriptive texture terms

Abstract

Student panels located in Dresden, Hannover and Vienna were asked to associate food materials with descriptive texture terms by means of a word association test. Additionally, valency responses to texture terms were collected in Vienna. In all subgroups, significantly more responses were obtained from students educated in food science. Generally, female panelists associated a slightly but insignificant higher number of food items. Association frequencies to particular texture terms varied between 99% and 24% and showed some similarities between regional panel subgroups. Terms representing typical Viennese colloquial speech expressions were almost unknown to Dresden and Hannover panelists. Thirty-two out of 40 terms showed significant valencies. After inspection of the food spectra associated with each particular descriptive characteristic three classes of terms were identified. These include terms eliciting associations to a large number of food materials with or without typical main reference products as well as terms eliciting only a few but typical responses. In the discussion period special attention is focused on semantic problems regarding the characteristics crunchy and crisp and the German analagues knusprig and knackig. © 1994 Academic Press.