Taste perception and diet in individuals with Chinese and European ethnic backgrounds

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Abstract
Relationships between taste perception and diet were investigated in two ethnic groups. The Chinese subjects (n = 30) were born in the People's Republic of China and were currently living in the United States. The U.S. subjects (n = 30) were of European ancestry. Psychophysical taste intensity functions for sucrose solutions, NaCl solutions and NaCl in soup were obtained using magnitude matching. Pleasantness ratings for the above stimuli, plus sucrose in cookies and NaCl in crackers were obtained using category rating scales. Three-day dietary records and the frequency of sweet food consumption were also collected. Chinese subjects assigned higher pleasantness ratings to the higher concentrations of sucrose in water and showed a tendency to rate sucrose in cookies as tasting more pleasant. These higher pleasantness ratings of sucrose were not reflected in increased sugar intake. The Chinese subjects also assigned higher pleasantness ratings to and preferred higher concentrations of salt in crackers and this was reflected in the data from the dietary records. The Chinese Na/Kcal and Na/K ratios were greater than those of the U.S. group.