*2.2. Soy Sauces*

Three soy sauces were selected based on the similarity of ingredients and availability in the Netherlands. Soy sauce is a condiment with a distinctive flavor that is familiar to most Asian consumers, and nowadays, a large variety of soy sauces are increasingly being offered in regular supermarkets to the mainstream consumers. Despite its growing popularity, soy sauce is still consumed regularly by a relatively small group of consumers, while most consumers either never consume soy sauce or very infrequently [28]. Recently, the frequency of use of soy sauce was related to factors such as food neophobia and preferences for soy sauces in general as well as preferences for specific brands of soy

sauce [29]. Based on this study, two familiar brands of soy sauces (Kikkoman (Kikkoman Foods Europe B.V., Sappemeer, The Netherlands) and Inproba (Inproba B.V., Baarn, The Netherlands)) were selected that shared the typical savory salty taste of soy sauce and one unfamiliar brand of soy sauce with a clearly different taste (Maekrua Gold Label® Soya Sauce Formula 1 (Mae Krua Sri Ruen Company Limited, Bangkok, Thailand)). In order to study the effect of brand familiarity, the familiar Inproba soy sauce was presented in an unfamiliar bottle (Wan Ja Shan from Taiwan). Samples of the soy sauces (1 mL, either with or without branding information) were mixed together with 16 g of shaped Sticky-rice (Yumenishiki, JFC Deutschland GmBH, Düsseldorf, Germany) in a styrofoam cup and presented at a comfortable temperature. White rice with soy sauce was selected as a carrier because it is a relatively common way to use soy sauce in the Netherlands. Rice had been cooked in a commercial rice cooker and kept warm at 60 ◦C in the incubator and portioned before each session.
