Abstract
This study clarifies by means of a sensory evaluation the effect of adding vinegar on the salty taste during cooking. The panelists could significantly distinguish salt concentration differences of 1.0%, 0.8% and 0.6% in chicken soup stock, and 0.8% and 0.6% in mixed vegetable soup; but they could not significantly distinguish such differences when a 0.135% acid concentration of vinegar had been added to the each soup. This effect is thought to have been due to the strongly sour taste of vinegar making it difficult to distinguish the saltiness. The panelists could also significantly distinguish the salt concentration difference of 0.8% and 0.7% in mixed vegetable soup and tofu; but, in some cases, they could not significantly distinguish the difference when a 0.01-0.04% acid concentration of vinegar had been added to the lower salt concentration of soup and tofu. This effect is thought to have been caused by the weakly sour taste of vinegar enhancing the salty taste. The results of this study showed two kinds of salt-reducing effect of vinegar, and enabled the amount of salt to be reduced by using the effect most suited to the type of cooking.
