2012 Volume 45 Issue 2 Pages 148-152
A model study for seasoning behavior was developed in order to establish the method for measuring a cook's psychological stress toward seasoning. Ten subjects progressively added salt to clear soup stock, tasting the resulting soup in five separate sessions. The subjects evaluated the impression of their cooking by a VAS scale after each session. As cooking progressed, the salinity of the seasoned sample significantly approached the target level, and the cooks consciously felt positive about their skills. The standardized oxygenated hemoglobin concentrations in several NIRS channels decreased in the fifth session, resulting in smooth planning activity in the prefrontal area. These behavioral and cognitive measurements can be used to elucidate the psychological stress developed in a cook when applying seasoning.
