This study performed recognition and preference tests on hometown foods given to University students in NaePo province, which is in the northwest area of Chungnam, Korea. The results indicated that female students and people who majored in food science were less interested in hometown foods than male students or who are not majors in food science. Moreover, they preferred Korean-style foods to food from other countries. Mass media has aroused interest in hometown foods. However, hometown foods require standard recipes certain levers of autonomy for the population. Hometown foods are valuable and should be handed down the next generation through publicity. For example, Kkotgetang(blue crab soup) was the best known hometown foods followed by kkotgegang(fermented blue crab with sauce), saeujeot(salted and fermented shrimp), eorigul jeot(salted and fermented oyster with red pepper) in that orders. The most preferred food was kkokgetang(blue crab soup) followed by kkotgegang(fermented blue crab with sauce).