Studies on onomatopoeic terms for describing food properties - Part II - Characterization of onomatopoeic terms for describing food properties

Fifty-three onomatopoeic terms for describing food properties were characte rized through two kinds of questionnaires by a laboratory panel of 31 membe rs. In the first questionnaire, panel members evaluated the relationship of these terms to such food properties as the appearance, aroma, taste, tempe rature, sound and texture under a total point of 10; If a term corresponds to one property, the property is 10, and if one relates to any. properties, the points are distributed according to their degree of association. Fifty -three terms were classified into 14 groups on the basis of t-statistic cal culated from mean and standard deviation of points evaluated by 31 members. All the terms were linked with a single property or two, and 43 of them we re found to be expressions related to texture. The terms related to sound w ere always associated with texture. On the other hand, there were some term s related to two inhomogeneous properties, such as "mattari", which was rel ated to taste and texture, "doro-doro" appearance and texture. In the secon d questionnaire, the panel members listed the kinds of foods they imagine f rom each term. The data were analyzed by Quantification Method III. The ter ms and foods were plotted on the plane coordinates with "brittleness" taken as ordinates and "elasticity" as abscissas. Thus, the relation between eac h terms and foods was quantitatively presented.