The Perception, Preferences, and Intake of Korean Traditional Foods of Elementary School Students -Focusing on kimchi, tteok and eumcheong varieties-

This study investigated elementary school students' perception, preferences, and intake of Korean traditional foods, focusing specifically on kimchi, tteok (rice cake), and eumcheong (beverage) varieties; and compared them by gender, living with grandparents, mother's occupation, and meal preparation by the grandmother. The subjects were 287 6th grade elementary school students in Busan. The results were as follows: 80% of children were interested in Korean traditional foods. 40% believed that their intake of Korean traditional foods was decreasing because these foods were not palatable to them. The majority of them, however, said they would continue to eat Korean traditional foods as they had done (54.7%) or eat more than before (36.6%) in the future. The children thought that Korean traditional foods were rich in nutrition and good for their health. The children had the highest preference for Baechu-kimchi among varieties of kimchi, and they had high preferences for Songpyeon, Galaitteok, and Injulmi. They had high preferences for Sikhye, citron tea, and adlai tea. Over 80% reported consuming Baechu-kimchi and Kkakdugi three to four times per week. They had eaten Injulmi the most frequently among the tteoks, while over 80% had eaten the other types of tteok only once or twice per month. Adlai tea, citron tea, and Sikhye were drunk more than once per week. In general, we noted no significant differences in the children's perceptions, preferences, and intake of Korean traditional foods by gender, living with grandparents, mother's occupation, and meal preparation by grandmother, with the exception of several items. The students had a very positive perception of Korean traditional foods. They had higher preferences for and had more frequently consumed the more familiar Korean traditional foods. It is therefore suggested that if the children had opportunities to experience Korean traditional foods more frequently and variously at home or in restaurants, they would appreciate Korean traditional foods even more, and develop higher preferences for these foods.