中学生における和菓子の食嗜好性と食行動

抄録

The present study examined the attitudes and behaviors towards wagashi, or Japanese confectionery, among young people. The wagashi food preferences of 444 junior high school students were surveyed, including 225 males and 219 females. The following results were obtained. When food preferences regarding four types of confectionery, namely western-style cake, wagashi, snack food, and rice crackers, were compared, the males liked a western-style cake and snack food better than wagashi. A majority of females highly preferred western-style cake to wagashi. Regarding wagashi, palatability was very high, while frequency of eating was low. In many cases, the junior high school students ate wagashi on days of hare (the sacred-profane dichotomy) such as rites and festivals. The various properties of wagashi, such as taste, color, appearance, a sense of the season, artistry, and tradition, seemed to fascinate the females in contrast to the males. The students showed high interest in making wagashi with their friends and families, or with Japanese-sweets craftsmen. It is expected that studying wagashi through the five senses will make students more interested in learning food culture.