Report On Artisan Product: Tang Yuan

Product Description and Heritage

Write the Report on Artisan Product.

In this report, the concept for an artisan product named “Tang Yuan” ?? in mandarin has been developed. “Tang Yuan” is a Chinese food. This report outlines and explores various issues related with the production of “Tang Yuan” that is suitable for sale to the public. In order to address these issues in appropriate manner appropriate theories and literatures related with it has been discussed. At first the product description has been provided along with the product heritage. Then it has been discussed how “Tang Yuan” is appropriate for selling in this context. After that the recipe of the product has been analyzed along with the authenticity issues.  It has been found that there are various rules and regulations related with food safety. Hence, the manufacturers of “Tang Yuan” have to implement all these food standards in order to make it acceptable globally. Finally the benefits of the food products have been discussed.    

“Tang Yuan” skin made from the pumpkin flesh. Wu et al. (2012) stated that that, “Tang Yuan” is filled with “ground black sesame seeds” and mixed with sugar. “Tang Yuan” is made from glutinous flour mixed with a small amount of water to form balls. Then it is cooked and served in boiling water. They are mainly served in round shaped balls and bowls. Yan (2012) stated that “Tang Yuan” symbolizes family togetherness.  The method of preparation of “Tang Yuan” differs in accordance with the geographical location. Yan (2012) stated that, yuanxiao is prepared by placing balls of filling into a basket. This basket is filled with glutinous rice flour.  Then the basket has to be shaken until the sprinking water gets over it and the flour becomes a coating. On the contrary, “Tang Yuan” is prepared by initiating with balls of rice flour dough. Then all the fillings are inserted in it.  After cooking, savoury filled with tangyuan are served in a clear soup bowl. Chee-Beng, (2012) stated that sweet “Tang Yuan” are served in a ginger infused syrup. It has been found that unfilled “Tang Yuan” soup is served as a part of sweet dessert soup. The common types of soup include back “sesame” soup, red bean soup, “Ginger and rock” sugar (Thøgersen & Zhou, 2012).     

Xu et al (2012) stated that, “Tang Yuan” is the food that is eaten during festivals. However presently it has become a dessert eaten by Chinese for all the year as a dessert. It is presently recognized as a festival food.  It is also served as dessert in Chinese weddings, Lantern festival and Winter Solstice festival. It is also served during various occasions such as family reunion. For most of the Chinese families in overseas and mainland China “Tang Yuan” is generally eaten together with family (Chee-Beng, 2012). For this reason “Tang Yuan” is appropriate food to be sold. It represents togetherness. It will provide consumers the opportunity to spend good times with their family in weekends. It is available in different flavors and colors that can attract both children and their parents. Chee-Beng (2012) stated that, “Tang Yuan” will also show the cultural heritage of Mainland China. Hence this Artisan food will uphold the Chinese culture in front of the whole world.  

Context that the Product will be Sold

It has been found that originally “Tang Yuan” is a food eaten during different Chinese festivals. However, presently it has become a dessert that consumed for the whole year rather than just as festive food.  It has been fund that “Tang Yuan” is traditionally white in color. However, in order to make it suitable for all the needs and demands of customer, new flavors and colors of “Tang Yuan” have been developed (Cheung & Wu, 2012). It has evolved as a dessert that is consumed by Chinese in any season of China. It is mixed with sesame, sweet bean paste and peanuts and places them into bamboo baskets. In southern areas, the variation is larger. Sweet filling can be included by using chocolate paste, fruit preserve, red bean paste and chopped peanuts and sugar.   

Xu et al (2012) mentioned that historically there are various different names were used to indicate “Tang Yuan”. Derived from the Yuanxiao festival during the “Yongle era of Ming Dynasty”, the name of the product is officially setteled as yuanxiao (Flowers & Swan, 2012). It was mainly used in North China.  In previous years, this food is mainly served during the full moon of the Chinese New Year. However, in South China it was called tangtuan or tangyuan. Mak et al. (2012) stated that Yuan Shikai disliked the name yuanxiao as it sounds similar “reomove Yuan”. For this reason he ordered to change the name to tangyuan.

In North China, minced meats and vegetables are used in Tang Yuan. Hence, it has been found that there is no fixed ingredient for this artisan food. However, food consumers all over the world are demanding information related with the content and origin of the food. For this reason, all the food manufacturers have provided relevant information about the ingredients to prove food authenticity and the point of origins of the products. Hence, while preparing “Tang Yuan” food manufacturers need to prevent false description of the ingredients and stop using cheaper ingredients to reduce authenticity issues.  

ISO 22000 is developed by the international organizational to measure food safety of products. Lawley et al (2012) stated that it is a derivative of ISO 9000 (Chee-Beng, 2012). The manufacturers of “Tang Yuan” needs to develop foods in accordance to ISO 22000 standard. The manufactures need imply system management, interactive communication, prerequisite programs and HACCP principles to improve the food standard of “Tang Yuan”.

Recipe of Tang Yuan

It has been found that food safety is one of the growing concerns in the Chinese agriculture. The Chinese government controls agricultural production along food packaging, food containers and business regulations. In the year of 2003, in order to consolidate food regulations, the Chinese government has developed State food and Drug Administration. According to it all food manufacturers need to label their products as “green” foods, “pollution-free” foods and “organic” foods. The manufactures of “Tang Yuan” have to meet all the safety procedures mentioned in the State food and Drug Administration 2003. If they are going to add fruits and vegetables in the food, then they need to develop separate feasibility section to check the quality and safety standards of vegetables (Lawley et al, 2012).  

According to this act, each process related with food preparation, processing, handing, storage, distribution are the part of food business activity. According to this act manufacturers of  “Tang Yuan” have to:

1. Ensure that “Tang Yuan” is stored and sold in a hygienic way
2. The manufacturers need to identify food safety hazards
3. They have to understand which steps in your activities are essential for food safety
4. They have to make sure that safety controls are in place, reviewed and maintained properly 

“Tang Yuan” is glutinous rice balls stuffed with different flavors of paste filling. It is a Chinese dessert and a light yet tasty food option for both festivals and after meals. Mak et al. (2012) stated that in past years it was only eaten during Lantern Festival. Wu et al. (2012) mentioned that it is the first full moon in the Lunar New Year. Traditional food of this day is “Tang Yuan”. In this day people of China are engaged in fun activities. They play various types of Chinese games and riddles. Hence, selling this food will bring a sense of festive in the mind of customers. Different flavors and colors of the food will help consumers to cherish their memory for long time. It will force them to come back to the specific manufacturers or restaurants that sale “Tang Yuan”.   

Conclusion  

In this report the concept and design of an artisan food product “Tang Yuan” has been developed. It is Chinese heritage food that was mainly eaten in China in various festivals like Lantern festivals. It is equally famous in both North and South China. However due to some cultural differences between South and North China it has some difference in taste and color. This food can bring the sense of togetherness among people. It can also bring the sense of joy among people. Hence it can bring potential benefit to the business. However, the manufactures needs to take care of the rules and regulations related with food safety and hygiene in order to make it acceptable for the global customers. 

Reference List

Chee-Beng, T. (Ed.). (2012). Chinese food and foodways in Southeast Asia and beyond. NUS Press.

Chen, M. Y., Yang, Y. H., Ho, C. J., Wang, S. H., Liu, S. M., Chang, E., ... & Ouhyoung, M. (2012). Automatic chinese food identification and quantity estimation. In SIGGRAPH Asia 2012 Technical Briefs (p. 29). ACM.

Cheung, S., & Wu, D. Y. (Eds.). (2012). Globalization of Chinese Food. Routledge.

Counihan, C., & Van Esterik, P. (2012). Food and culture: A reader. Routledge.

Flowers, R., & Swan, E. (2012). Eating the Asian other? Pedagogies of food multiculturalism in Australia. Portal Journal of Multidisciplinary International Studies, 9(2), 1-30.

Hamada, N., & Ogino, H. (2012). Food safety regulations: what we learned from the Fukushima nuclear accident. Journal of environmental radioactivity,111, 83-99.

Lawley, R., Curtis, L., & Davis, J. (2012). The food safety hazard guidebook. Royal Society of Chemistry.

Li, Y., Zhou, Y. C., Yang, M. H., & Ou-Yang, Z. (2012). Natural occurrence of citrinin in widely consumed traditional Chinese food red yeast rice, medicinal plants and their related products. Food Chemistry, 132(2), 1040-1045.

Liu, H., Kerr, W. A., & Hobbs, J. E. (2012). A review of Chinese food safety strategies implemented after several food safety incidents involving export of Chinese aquatic products. British Food Journal, 114(3), 372-386.

Mak, A. H., Lumbers, M., Eves, A., & Chang, R. C. (2012). Factors influencing tourist food consumption. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 31(3), 928-936.

Pierson, M. D. (2012). HACCP: principles and applications. Springer Science & Business Media.

Thøgersen, J., & Zhou, Y. (2012). Chinese consumers’ adoption of a ‘green’innovation–The case of organic food. Journal of Marketing Management, 28(3-4), 313-333.

Wu, P., Pan, X., Wang, L., Shen, X., & Yang, D. (2012). A survey of ethyl carbamate in fermented foods and beverages from Zhejiang, China. Food control, 23(1), 286-288.

Xu, P., Zeng, Y., Fong, Q., Lone, T., & Liu, Y. (2012). Chinese consumers’ willingness to pay for green-and eco-labeled seafood. Food Control, 28(1), 74-82.

Yan, Y. (2012). Food safety and social risk in contemporary China. The Journal of Asian Studies, 71(03), 705-729.