Abstract
The sensory and physicochemical properties of three commercial types of castella sponge cake, which was introduced by Portuguese missionaries in the 16th century from Nagasaki, were investigated. There are various characteristics of castella in Japan: sample A had both the highest sugar content and yellowness, followed by sample B. The preferences for appearance, aroma, taste, texture and overall quality were evaluated by 132 young consumers (66 from Nagasaki and 66 from Niigata) by using a seven-point hedonic scale. Highly significant differences were found in the preference for appearance, taste, texture and overall quality. The most-preferred type of castella was sample B. The consumers were classified into four groups based on their preference scores. While the consumers comprising the largest cluster (38%) preferred both samples A and B, the highest preference for sample C was shown by 21% of the consumers. These results indicate the varying consumer preference for the different types of castella.
