Old Product in a New Context: Importance of the Type of Dish for the Acceptance of Grünkern, a Spelt-Based Traditional Cereal

Abstract

Sensory properties and consumer acceptance of an unfamiliar cereal, Grünkern — Spelt that has been harvested while the grain is still green, and dried with smoke — were examined. A laboratory panel rated Grünkern the most similar with boiled wheat and the least similar with white rice. Consumer acceptance was tested young (mean age 25 y) Finnish subjects (n=41). The samples were presented as cooked grains (‘starches’) and as a soup (Grünkern Suppe), and they were compared with similar foods that were familiar to the subjects (dark rice and leek-potato soup, respectively). The subjects rated the pleasantness of appearance, texture and flavour of the samples. Half of the subjects were given information about the samples before evaluation while the others rated the samples uninformed. The subjects' degree of food neophobia (FNS) was determined. Overall, information and FNS did not affect the ratings of pleasantness of starches while both variables affected ratings of both soups, either by increasing them (information) or by decreasing pleasantness ratings of texture and flavour (neophobia). Furthermore, neophilic subjects considered the texture and flavour of unfamiliar soups more pleasant than neophobic subjects. The data suggest that the form in which a new product is served has a major impact on responses to an unfamiliar food.