KOREASCHOLAR

In this study, the preference for Korean Kimchi by Chinese people in Shandong Province was evaluated. Specifically, this study was conducted to aid in the introduction of Kimchi to China by providing information and developing local types designed to meet regional taste preferences. The subjects were comprised of 298 Chinese (male 108, female 190) residents of Weihai, Yantai and Qingdao, in Shandong province, China. The subjects were provided with a self administered questionnaire form designed to evaluate their views on Korean Kimchi. The collected data were then analyzed using the SAS software package. The results revealed that 95.3% of the respondents were aware of Korean Kimchi. In addition, 100% of the respondents who had visited Korea and 98.1% of the respondents who had an interest in Korea were aware of Kimchi. With regard to the origins of their interest in Kimchi, 26.8% of the subjects answered 'through mass media', while 23.9% reported that they learned about Kimchi 'through friends'. Most subjects recognized Kimchi as a 'Korean traditional food' (92.6%), a 'delicious food' (53.2%), and a 'fermented food' (38.0%). Baechu Kimchi was found to be the most well-known Kimchi, followed by Kkakdugi, Oi Kimchi, Yoelmu Kimchi and Nabak Kimchi. Additionally, 69.1% of the subjects knew how it was prepared, most of whom reported that they learned how Kimchi was prepared through 'Korean movie and/or drama'. Moreover, 88.9% of the subjects had eaten Kimchi. Overall, 43.8% of the subjects reported that they ate Kimchi 1~2 times per month, while 32.1% reported that they ate Kimchi 1~2 time per year. The most common places that Kimchi was eaten were a 'Korean restaurant' (67.6%) or with a 'colleague' (32.8%). The primary reasons for not having eaten Kimchi were 'no knowledge or dislike of Kimchi by family' (30.3%), 'difficulty purchasing Kimchi' (21.2%), 'high priced Kimchi' (21.2%), and 'dislike the smell and shape of Kimchi' (12.1%).

• 장향매 | Zhang, Xiang Mei
• 남은숙 | Nam, Eun-Sook
• 박신인 | Park, Shin-In