Abstract
An inquiry of the taste preference was made for infants ranging from 3 to 6 years of age (120 males and 88 females) and their parents (208 males and 208 females) in order to find the tendency of the preference toward sweet, sour, salty and bitter tastes. Thresholds of gustatory sensitivity toward sweet, sour and salty taste were measured by using aqueous solutions of sucrose, citric acid. and sodium chloride, respectively. Patterns and correlations of the taste preference were explicated by using Hayashi's Quantification Method. The pattern of the taste preference of the infants was different from that of their parents and a little difference between infant males and females was observed. Infants had a tendency to prefer sweet foods such as chocolate, short cake and ice cream, especially female infants sour foods such as natsumikan. There were high correlations between infants and their parents upon preferring salty and bitter foods such as shiokara and celery. Gustatory thresholds of infants were lower than those of 20-years-old females. Infants had perceived 0.20.8% concentration of sucrose, 0.0290.06% concentration of citric acid and 0.044.16% concentration of sodium chloride. Difference of the infants' expression was recognized for aqueous solutions of three tastes.
