A Study on the Perception as HANSIK (Korean Food) for the Common Dishes in Korean Adults Residing in Seoul and Metropolitan Area

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate which food items are perceived as HANSIK (Korean food) in Korea. 562 males and females aged 20-70 were surveyed on 512 most frequently consumed dish items from 4th Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey if they perceive it as HANSIK. Dish items in kimchi, namulsukchae (cooked and seasoned vegetable) and jeotgal (salt-fermented food) category showed high response rate to be perceived as HANSIK. The response rate of twigim (frying foods) as HANSIK was low showing less than 70%. The response rate as HANSIK for foreign origin foods such as ramen and jjajangmyeon (black bean paste noodle) were lower than 25%. In jangyangnyum (seasoning) category, doenjang (soybean paste) and gochujang (red pepper paste) showed high response rate as HANSIK more than 90%. Females showed a higher response rate as HANSIK than males for most food items except several items of myenmandu (noodle and dumpling). The younger age group had higher HANSIK perception on many items of recently consumed foods, especially budae-jjigae (spicy sausage stew) (p < 0.001) and jwipo-jorim (braised dried filefish) (p < 0.001), implying that they already accept the common foods as HANSIK regardless of the origin. These results provide an information on the foods perceived as HANSIK among currently consumed common foods in Korea and these results can be utilized for establishment of HANSIK concept reflecting transition of dietary life in Korea. (Korean J Community Nutr 17(5) : 555~578, 2012)