How local pig breed and processing methods affect consumer preferences for dry-cured ham

Two dry-cured hams were produced using a local breed Krškopolje pig, trimmed/shaped either as ‘Kraški pršut’ (KK) or ‘Istrski pršut’ (IK). Consumers (n = 118) were recruited to evaluate the hams in blind, expected, and informed tests. Overall liking was rated on a 5-point Likert scale, while sensory perceptions were assessed with Check-All-That-Apply method in blind and expected tests. In blind, expected, and informed test, KK received higher liking scores than IK. Specifically, for KK, liking was the highest in informed, the lowest in the blind, and intermediate in the expected test, suggesting that information about local breed positively influenced consumer perception. In contrast, IK showed similar liking scores in both, blind and informed tests, while the expected liking was notably higher, indicating a mismatch between expectations and actual experience. Check-All-That-Apply results, analyzed with correspondence analysis, showed that IK and KK hams were differentiated by consumers based on sensory descriptors. Furthermore, the analysis highlighted differences between expected and perceived sensory descriptors.