Characterization of Japanese Texture Terms by Analyzing Relationships with Various Kinds of Foods

Abstract

A total of 445 Japanese texture terms were characterized by analyzing relationships with various kinds of foods. A list of 252 foods was obtained from the literature and statistical data. Sixteen trained descriptive panelists were asked to select terms associated with each of the 252 foods from the list of 445 Japanese texture terms. The data obtained in this study can be applied as a preliminary lexicon source for sensory evaluation. In addition, a spatial representation of the data demonstrated the structure of the Japanese texture vocabulary, in which “fracture or fluidity” and “fluffiness and airiness” were the main two dimensions.