Several kinds of stock made from dried bonito, sea tangle and other ingredients are used daily in Japanese cooking. The effects of the flavor of traditional Japanese stock on the preference for food were examined by a sensory evaluation of steamed egg custard (tamagodoufu) and stewed Japanese radish (daikon-fukumeni). Four kinds of tamagodoufu and daikon-fukumeni were individually prepared with different stock, and the preferences for aroma and taste, as well as the overall preference, were evaluated. The results indicated that the overall preference was mainly attributable to the taste rather than the aroma, although the samples prepared with a specific stock could not always gain a high assessment. In fact, accumulated experience with a particular dish tended to raise the preference for that dish. However, the flavor of dried bonito stock was inclined to enhance the preference for a food.
