Abstract
We investigated the textural characteristics of plant-based meat alternatives based on root vegetables, including Platycodon grandiflorum, Codonopsis lanceolata root, Gastrodia elata blume, and Panax ginseng. The samples with root vegetables had significantly higher moisture contents than those without because of the water retention capacity of dietary fiber contained in root vegetables. Heating affects the structures and interactions of the plant-based proteins and other ingredients. Therefore, from before to after heating, the L* values generally decreased, and the a* and b* values increased. During cooking, the hardness, gumminess, and chewiness of the sample containing Platycodon grandiflorum increased the most, and cohesiveness tended to increase The cooking loss was the lowest in the samples without root vegetable additives because the addition of root vegetables caused a decrease in Pleurotus eryngii content. The addition of root vegetables in samples had a positive effect on texture and overall acceptability in the sensory evaluation. Overall, the sample containing Platycodon grandiflorum was the most changed in terms of its physical properties. This study is expected to provide physical properties and foundational data for the future growth of the alternative food industry.