Examining the Oral Preference on Hedonic Likings and Its Impacts on Sales and Pricing of Different Bamboo Shoots and Their Processed Forms in Arunachal Pradesh, India

Abstract

An investigation was made to understand the relationship between the sensory perception of residents of Arunachal Pradesh and their preference for bamboo shoots from the following species: Bambusa balcooa Roxb., Bambusa pallida Munro, Bambusa tulda Roxb., B. vulgaris Schrad. Ex J.C. Wendl, Dendrocalamus giganteus Munro, Dendrocalamus hamiltonii Nees & Arn. ex Munro, and Phyllostachys bambusoides Siebold and Zucc., and their processed products namely Hidung, Eup and Ekung. Interviews were conducted among 250 participants who were given the freedom of choice to rate hedonic likings on Taste, Flavour and Texture. On this basis, an assessment was also carried out to establish the observed preferences and their influence on sales and prices of the food from the period of 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14. The strongest association, which affects the price and volume of sales of bamboo shoots as well as the processed forms, was found to be related in order of texture, followed by taste and flavour.