## 3 Results and Discussion
### Cross-Cultural Sensory Preferences  
Diverse perceptions were observed concerning how participants of different nationalities perceive cheeses manufactured in the US and Mexico. Through an analysis of variance (ANOVA) for each type of cheese and each cheese parameter (Table 3), we observed significant differences (\(p<0.05\)) in terms of aroma for cheeses such as Asadero, Chihuahua, and Oaxaca. The composition of Oaxaca and Asadero are similar, and both are pasta-filata Mexican cheeses [35]. In contrast, only one American cheese, Monterey Jack, showed significant differences (\(p<0.05\)). On one hand, Mexican products tend to have less of a maturation process, which is why \"quesos frescos\" (fresh cheeses) are the most popular among all Mexican cheeses, accounting for 80% of the total cheese production in Mexico. These chees are commonly made from cow, sheep, and goat milk, with cow's milk being the most prevalent. In Mexico, cheese production can be carried out using traditional, semi-mechanized, or fully mechanized methods and can involve either raw or pasteurized milk. However, the use of non-pasteurized milk is illegal and could be used in the informal  
Figure 4: Descriptive analysis of cheeses manufactured in the US; 0\(-\)10: intensity level, where 0 represents absence and 10 is the highest intensity. cheese markets. On the other hand, the US dairy industry is highly regulated; the vast majority of cheese made in the US is made with pasteurized milk. Cheese made from raw milk is held for a 60-day ripening period at no less than 1.7 \({}^{\circ}\)C before sale [34]. In addition, the Code of Federal Regulations [36] established standards of identity for major cheese categories. For example, Monterey Jack cheese must made from pasteurized cow's milk and contain not more than 44% moisture. Upon a thorough examination of the texture and flavor characteristics, it can be observed that there are more significant variations in the sensory perceptions of judges from different countries regarding the cheeses manufactured in the US rather than those manufactured in Mexico (Table 3). For example, when examining the firmness of the cheeses, five out of the seven US cheeses showed notable differences in this characteristic. In contrast, the cheeses manufactured in Mexico did not exhibit any significant difference. Notably, the average firmness values were recorded at 6\(-\)7 out of 10 for the cheeses manufactured in the US while registering at 1\(-\)2 out for 10 for the cheeses manufactured in Mexico. This suggests that there is a difference in the perception of firmness among participants from different cultures. In fact, Mexican participants, on average, rated the cheeses lower than their American counterparts, who assigned higher average ratings. Table 3 shows that the perception of salinity was similar for the cheeses manufactured in Mexico. Interestingly, Parmesan and Pepper Jack chees received different scores based on the nationality of the evaluators. Americans rated Parmesan cheese with a score of 5.4, while Mexicans gave it a higher score of 7.6. Similarly, the saltiness score for Pepper Jack cheese was 6 for American judges and 7.6 for Mexican judges. There was a significant difference between the acidity scores of Adobera, which is a cheese manufactured in Mexico, and Mozzarella, which is a cheese manufactured in the US, when it came to the two different nationalities. In particular, Adobera showed a big difference in score between the two nationalities. Participants from the US gave it a score of 6.9, while participants from Mexico gave it a score of 2.4. Regarding Mozzarella, the perceived sourness for judges from the US was 2.3, while judges from Mexico rated a sourness of 5.5. Therefore, the taste and acceptance for cheese might vary across different cultures. In general, the relatively few differences observed in the cheeses produced in Mexico may suggest that both the judges from Mexico and the US were familiar with this type of cheese.