Preference Mapping of Domestic/Imported Jasmine Rice for U.S.-Asian Consumers

Three domestic and 12 imported commercial Jasmine rice varieties were evaluated by a trained sensory panel and by 105 Asian families who live in the State of Arkansas. Results showed that consumers preferred imported over domestic products. According to consumers, the sensory characteristics most important to the acceptance of cooked Jasmine rice were, in order of decreasing importance, color, favor, aroma, stickiness, and hardness. Using descriptive data, we evaluated predictive models of Jasmine rice's overall acceptance. These models allowed us to identify important sensory characteristics that encouraged Asian consumers to accept Jasmine rice. Such characteristics included flavor (that is, aroma, aromatics, feeling factors, and aftertaste), texture, and visual attributes. Data collected here could be useful to the U.S. rice industry in developing an understanding of the drivers of Jasmine rice acceptance.