Abstract
Response surface methodology (RSM) was used for analyzing the manufacturing process of Prunus mume extract-added vinegared red pepper paste (maesil chokochujang) with respect to sensory quality properties. Experiments were carried out according to a central composite design, selecting the amount of kochujang, amount of maesil extract, and type of sugar in the mixture as independent variables; sensory attributes such as flavor, taste, color, and mouthfeel viscosity as response variables. The polynomial models developed by RSM for sensory color and mouthfeel viscosity were highly effective to describe the relationships between the factors studied and the responses. The estimated response surfaces confirmed that the amount of kochujang had a positive effect on color (p<0.001) whereas the amount of maesil extract had a positive effect on mouthfeel viscosity (p<0.001). Increase in the amount of kochujang led to a sharp increase of the sensory score on color at all the maesil extract and sugar type levels. On the other hand, increase in the amount of maesil extract caused a sharp increase in the mouthfeel viscosity value regardless of kochujang concentration and type of sugar. The differences among samples made with different types of sugar were not significant (p>0.05).
