The research aims to assess the preferences of Chinese consumers on Ready to Eat (RTE) foods from Thailand through sensory evaluation analysis. Focus group interview was conducted with a group of Chinese consumers living in Thailand to understand the insights of food consumption behaviors. Chinese consumers’ opinion toward Thai RTE foods and favorable types of foods were investigated. In order to obtain a better understanding of Chinese consumers’ preference on Thai RTE foods, three Thai and two Chinese foods were benchmarked as samples for the target panels. Sensory evaluation was tested over five items of RTE product with Chinese panels living in three major cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. All panels indicated their overall preferences; however Tom Yum Kung obtained the least acceptance among five products. Just About Right scale composed of sweet, sour, salty, spicy and oiliness was assessed and it was found that different located area of testing panels have shown the significantly different preferences. Beijing panels preferred noodle-based foods like Spaghetti and Pad Thai, while Shanghai and Guangzhou panels favored of rice dishes such as Green Curry and Yellow Curry with Rice. It can be concluded that the adjusted product taste to satisfy Chinese consumers’ preferences was necessary for export product strategy of Thai RTE foods.
Keywords: Consumer Preference; RTE foods; China; Sensory Test; Product Strategy