Taste dimensions, sensory evaluation and profiling of cricket-flour nachos dataset

Consumer acceptance of insect-based foods is often constrained by food neophobia and cultural barriers. This dataset collected from 102 participants contains evaluations of cricket-flour nachos including taste dimensions (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami), sensory properties (smell, sound, touch, taste), and additional characteristics obtained from a Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) word list. Stimulus-independent participant characteristics, such as dietary exclusions (e.g., no red meat, poultry, dairy), and food consumption orientation were recorded and are available to control for the influence of attitudinal variables on taste evaluations. Participant age and gender are provided in the dataset. This dataset can be used for comparative research on insect-based foods, aid product development and support sensory studies, contribute to meta-analyses, and inform consumer psychology research on sensory-driven adoption of alternative proteins. An observed gender difference in saltiness perception highlights marketing opportunities related to taste-driven food familiarity and consumption.