Ethnicity or convenience? The effect of claims on Chinese consumers' hedonic and emotional responses to Korean ethnic home meal replacement product

Presenting ethnic food with appropriate claims may help to reduce consumers' reluctance to try them by increasing familiarity and evoking positive emotions. This study examined how claims influence Chinese consumers' hedonic and emotional responses to Korean ethnic home meal replacement products. Chinese consumers residing in China ( n = 156) rated their acceptance and emotional responses to two Korean ethnic foods (Tteokbokki and Japchae) under different claim conditions before and after tasting. The experimental claims emphasized the ethnic origin or convenience of food. Claim, sample, and tasting significantly affected overall liking, with a significant claim × tasting interaction indicating that claim effects were dependent on the evaluation stage. When no claim was provided, overall liking increased after tasting, suggesting that sensory experience recalibrated initially low expectations. In contrast, when claims were present, liking was elevated prior to tasting and remained stable thereafter. Claim effects were more pronounced for the less familiar product, Japchae, whereas liking for the more familiar product, Tteokbokki, remained relatively stable across tasting stages. Regarding emotional responses, the convenience-related claim significantly decreased ratings of secured , while the ethnicity-related claims elicited heightened high arousal emotion such as curious and tempting before tasting. Overall, these findings suggest that claims primarily influence expectations and emotional responses before tasting, while their effects on hedonic acceptance are moderated by tasting stage and product familiarity. • Claims increased pre-tasting liking but had limited effects after tasting. • Claim effects were stronger for the less familiar product. • Convenience claims reduced feeling of reassurance without lowering liking. • Ethnicity claims elicited high-arousal emotions that decreased after tasting.