Candied fruit is also called preserved fruit, and was called honey fried in ancient times. Chinese folk fruit food made from molasses. It is spread all over the country and has a long history. Foods made from fruits and vegetables such as peaches, apricots, plums, dates, wax gourd, and ginger as raw materials and pickled with sugar or honey. In addition to being eaten directly as snacks or snacks, candied fruits can also be used as decoration on cakes, biscuits and other snacks.
In the Tang Dynasty, fruits presented as tribute to the court were soaked and preserved in honey. By the Song Dynasty, the production was exquisite and the varieties were diverse. It developed from honey-dried dishes to two categories that were made with cane sugar and dried. Made through fruit selection, washing, soaking, boiling and other processes, it has a good color and taste. Basic introduction Chinese name: Preserved fruit Foreign name: sweetmeat Main raw materials: Honey kumquat, sugar osmanthus Whether it contains preservatives: No Suitable people: Popular preserved fruit introduction, development history, variety classification, classified by traits and characteristics, classified by local flavor, main brands , main production areas, Jiangsu, Sichuan, Zhejiang, production technology, quality issues, problem exposure, national standards, official statements, precautions, introduction to candied fruit "Preserved fruit" (mì jiàn) was originally made from fruits and vegetables, etc., with sugar or honey The processing method of pickling has now evolved into the name of a traditional food. Legend has it that candied fruit was invented by Guanglu Temple during the Ming Dynasty. The original meaning of "preserved fruit" is a processing method that uses fruits and vegetables as raw materials and is pickled with sugar or honey. It is a big concept. Beijing, Taiwan, Chaoshan, and Zhaoqing are the main producing areas of candied fruit. . Development History Preserved fruits are traditional foods with national characteristics and have a history of more than 2,000 years. The book "The Spring and Autumn Annals of Wu and Yue" written by Zhao Hua from the Eastern Han Dynasty contains the record that "Yue repaid Wu Zeng's gift of the title with Ganmiwan (Wood Party)." This is the earliest written record of candied fruit in China. In the Tang and Song Dynasties, due to the development of agricultural production, especially the development of fruit, beekeeping, and sugar industries, the processing of candied fruits has made great progress, forming a complete set of processing techniques such as "frying, brewing, exposing, and grinding". As a result, the products and varieties of candied food have been greatly increased, and it has become a "honey fried" food independent of the food forest. The so-called "honey decoction" means that people boil and concentrate fresh fruits in honey to remove a large amount of water in the fruits and enhance the flavor, so that they can be stored for a long time, hence the name. By the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, the processing of candied fruits had further developed in terms of processing technology and varieties. Its processing technology was becoming increasingly perfect and mature. It was not only famous in China, but also enjoyed a high reputation in the world. At the 1915 Panama International Exposition, the candied fruits produced in my country won a gold medal and received high praise. At this time, the level of candied fruit processing technology can be said to have risen to the highest point in ancient times, and its name was changed to "preserved fruit". After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the preserved fruit industry developed extremely rapidly, and some factories with larger scale and production capacity were formed. The production capacity was greatly improved, and the preserved fruit industry entered a period of prosperity. Variety classification According to the characteristics and characteristics of the product, the candied fruits are classified as follows: Candied candied fruits are made by adding sugar to the pulp and then boiling it. The finished product is generally soaked in concentrated sugar liquid, and the pulp is fine and delicious. Such as candied red fruits, candied crabapples, candied quinces, candied green plums, candied osmanthus, candied roses, etc. all fall into this category. Candied products have slightly sugary liquid on the surface. They are fresh in color and crispy in texture. They are sweet and refreshing. The original fruit has rich flavor and good color, aroma, taste and shape. Its representative products mainly include plum series products, as well as candied bergamot and honey kumquat. , figs, etc. Sand-returning products have dry surface, slightly frosted, fresh color, unique shape, crispy taste, and sweet taste. Representative products include jujube series products, as well as Su Ju cake, golden kumquat, Su-style plum, and nine-system tangerine peel. , sugar bayberry, sugar cherry, etc. After the raw materials are candied and boiled, the surface of the finished product is dry and covered with white icing sugar, such as: candied winter melon strips, golden candied dates, kumquat cake, etc. After the candied fruit is candied and cooked, a layer of powdered sugar is hung on the surface of the fruit base, making the product opaque, with a crisp texture and a high sugar content. Such as various melon sticks, sugar orange cakes, sugar lotus root slices, sugar ginger slices, sugar kumquats, sugar lotus seeds, sugar water chestnuts, green and red silk, etc. all fall into this category. Preserved fruits are made by candiing and boiling and then drying. They are brown, golden or amber in color, bright and translucent, and have a dry surface. They are slightly sticky dried products. Such as preserved apples, pears, peaches, preserved fruits, dates, fragrant fruits, green plums, hawthorns, begonias, etc. all fall into this category.
After the raw materials of apple preserves are made with candied sugar, and then dried, the surface of the finished product is non-sticky, non-dry, transparent, and has no frost precipitation, such as: apricot preserves, pineapples (slices, blocks, cores), ginger candied slices, papaya (strips, grains) etc. Cool fruits are licorice cool products made of various fresh fruits (greens) as the main raw material. Their external shape generally maintains the original fruit body, and the surface is dry. Some varieties have a salt-frost surface. They taste sweet, sour, and slightly salty. Has original fruit flavor. For example, green plum, tangerine peel plum, rock sugar bayberry, etc. all fall into this category, and there are many varieties. During the process of candiing or boiling the raw materials, sweeteners, spices, etc. are added. The surface of the finished product is dry and has a rich aroma, such as: clove plum, snowflake yingzi, Bazhen plum, plum-flavored kumquat, etc. Chemical products are dry products made from fruits as the main raw material, pickled, added with food additives, with or without sugar, and with or without licorice. The products have sweet, sour, salty and other flavors, such as plum, plum, apricot, tangerine peel, five-spice hawthorn slices, licorice olives, licorice kumquats, etc. all fall into this category. Preserved fruits and fruit pills use fruits and vegetables as the main raw materials. They are boiled, soaked or salted with sugar, dried and then ground, and then formed into various forms of dry products. Such as Baicao Dan, Chenpi Dan, Lemon Dan, Bing Mei Dan, Sour Plum Dan, Fruit Peel Dan, Hawthorn Dan, Bergamot Dan, etc. all fall into this category. Fruit cakes are processed into paste-like raw materials, concentrated and dried, and the finished products are in the shape of slices and blocks, such as tamarind cakes, passion fruit cakes, hawthorn cakes, hawthorn strips, fruit peels, appetizing kumquats, etc., all fall into this category. The raw materials of licorice products are fruit base, which is soaked with sugar, licorice and other food additives, and then dried. The finished product has sweet, sour, salty and other flavors, such as plum, licorice, tangerine peel, and plum. According to local flavor, candied fruit can be divided into several schools: northern, southern, and eastern. The northern school is represented by preserved fruits from Beijing, the southern school is represented by preserved fruits, and the eastern school is represented by Hangzhou candy color. The art of carved preserves is distributed in Quyang Town, Jingzhou Miao and Dong Autonomous County, in the southwest of Hunan Province, in the south of Huaihua City, at the junction of Hunan, Guizhou and Guangxi, and in the surrounding area. Carved preserves are a unique national food and a handicraft as beautiful as jade with unique shapes and colors. It contains rich national culture and is a folk art treasure that perfectly combines food culture and national culture. It originated in the late Five Dynasties and was passed down from generation to generation. It became an imperial gift among the people of Jingzhou who paid tribute to the court in the past dynasties. Carved candied fruit has formed a unique and complete process in terms of material selection, carving and processing. Mainly using immature green-skinned pomelo as raw material, first cut the pomelo into round or fan-shaped uniform slices, and then use your imagination on the pomelo slices to carve them into exotic flowers and plants, birds and animals, dragons, phoenixes, fish and shrimps, and characters through creativity. Utensils, auspicious calligraphy and painting and other lively and lifelike patterns. Then it is refined through multiple processes such as rinsing with water, boiling in copper pots, pickling with cane sugar, and turning and baking. The composition is full, the shape is vivid, the craftsmanship is unique, and the patterns are numerous. It is pleasing to the eye and refreshing to eat. The craft of carved preserves has been around for more than a thousand years. It is a product of civil society and a reflection of people's lives. It is a unique expression of national cultural psychology and cultural accumulation in different eras. It has a unique art form and rich Miao and Dong culture. The connotation, from connotation to external expression, reflects the historical and cultural traditions, aesthetic pursuits and unique national spirit of the Miao and Dong people, achieving an artistic effect that is exquisite and expressive, and is both elegant and popular. It fully demonstrates the creativity and craftsmanship level of the Miao and Dong people, and has positive witnessing significance to the formation and development of the multiculturalism of the Chinese nation. Beijing-style preserved fruits, also known as Beijing preserved fruits, originated in Beijing, among which preserved apples, golden candied dates and golden cake strips are the most famous. The characteristics of Beijing-style preserves are: the fruit body is transparent and the surface is dry. The ingredients are simple, but the dosage is large. It is soft in the mouth and has a rich and sweet taste. Hangzhou-style preserves were called sugar-colored fruits in the old days, and can be divided into two categories according to technology: sugar-made and honey-soaked. There are dozens of flavors including green plums in sugar water, loquats in sugar water, Chinese plums, kumquats, preserved apricots, etc. Huichang's "green plums in sugar water" that has been produced for a century is known as the best preserve in the south of the Yangtze River. It is sweet but contains sourness and has a meaningful aftertaste. Cantonese-style preserves originated from Guangzhou and Chaozhou areas, among which olives, candied sweet lotus, candied orange cake, butter plum and Jiayingzi are famous. Its characteristics are: dry surface, rich sweet aroma or sweet and sour taste. Su-style preserved fruits originated in Suzhou, including preserves produced in Suzhou, Shanghai, Wuxi and other places. Among them, white sugar bayberry is the most famous. The characteristics of Su-style preserves are: there are many varieties of ingredients, mainly sweet and sour, salty and sweet flavors, and full of aftertaste. Mainly focusing on sand return products, it is now sold in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Anhui and other places. It is famous for its careful selection of materials, fine production, unique shape, bright color and elegant flavor.
Fujian-style preserved fruits originated from Quanzhou and Zhangzhou in Fujian. Among them, Dafuguo, Jiayingzi and Shixiangguo are the most famous. The characteristics of Fujian-style preserves are: various ingredients, large dosage, sweet and fragrant taste, and rich aftertaste. Main brands Main preserves brands in Mainland China: Jiudaowan, a specialty of Hunan, Dingguagua, Huike from Anhui in the Central Plains, Tianwo, Mrs. Yao, Shanghaojia in the north; Fusenyuan in Zhaoqing in South China, Centennial Huichang in (Hangzhou), (Hangzhou) Huaweiheng, (Shantou) Baiying, (Shantou) Meifengyuan, (Shantou) Yingxiang, (Chaozhou) Jiabao, (Taicang) Jiamei, (Puning) Yeyuanfang, (Guangzhou) Zhenqiwei , (Chaozhou) Jigong, (Puning) Tongxiang, Yanjinpuzi, Xiangzhizhai, (Fujian) Meimantianxia, ??(Fujian) Jinlongfang, and Xinhui Dayou are all well-known fruit-making companies in mainland China, with high quality Guaranteed. The main production area is Jiangsu. Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province is located on the shore of Taihu Lake and enjoys the reputation of "the hometown of preserved fruits in China". It is rich in more than 40 kinds of fruits such as plums, apricots, loquats, bayberries, peaches, kumquats, and red oranges, providing abundant raw materials for the production of preserves. Therefore, Suzhou is one of the earliest regions for the production of preserves in my country. Preserved fruits were produced as early as the Three Kingdoms period. The development of the cane sugar industry in the Tang Dynasty promoted candied fruit processing and formed a gang type of candied fruits in Suzhou. In the Ming Dynasty, with the development of painting, calligraphy, sculpture and other arts in Suzhou, treasures such as plum carvings appeared in Suzhou-style preserves. During the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty, there were many varieties of Su-style candied fruits, which were at their peak and sold in market towns in the south of the Yangtze River. The candied fruits were sold as far as outside the country. Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, there were more than 10 candied fruit workshops in Suzhou, among which "Zhang Xiangfeng" was the most famous. It had branches in Shanghai, Tianjin, Jiaxing and other places, which shows its large scale and prosperous production. Su-style preserves are sweet, sour and salty, soft and delicious, and have always been listed as "palace food". In terms of varieties, there are more than 160 kinds of green plums, white sugar lotus hearts, and Tianxiang candied dates, among which the golden candied dates, creamy plums, golden kumquats, white sugar bayberries, and nine-system tangerine peel are the most famous. Among them, golden candied dates are a traditional product in Su-style preserves. They are made from Dongting Dongshan Baipu dates. They have rich fruity flavor, amber-like color, sweet and glutinous texture, and crispy texture in the mouth. They are quite famous in domestic and foreign markets. In 1984, the "Mi" brand golden candied dates produced by Suzhou Preserved Fruit Factory was awarded the National Quality Food Silver Award. Using fresh plums to process candied fruits is also very unique in Suzhou. Candied green plums are just like freshly picked plums. They are green in color, crisp and tender in texture, and sweet and delicious. The flavor of Su-style plum is sweet and sour. Holding one piece in your mouth is refreshing and refreshing. It has a long aftertaste and is most popular among tourists. Sujie cakes and kumquat cakes made from Dongting tangerines have rich tangerine aroma, sweet and refreshing taste, and have the function of appetizing and aerobic. Su-style preserves include sugared bergamot, orange peel, dried tangerine peel, white sugar dried bayberry, clear water licorice and plum peel, etc. It is sweet and fragrant, suitable for all ages, and everyone loves it. Plum Carving Sichuan Neijiang City in Sichuan Province is known as the "Sweet City of China" and the "Hometown of Chinese Preserved Fruits" due to its rich production of sugar cane, sugar and candied fruits. Neijiang Preserved Fruit is known for its unique style of "transparent color, full of sugar and water, moisturizing and sludge, delicious and sweet", and is deeply loved by people. Neijiang Preserved Fruit was listed as a royal tribute fruit as early as the Tang Dynasty, and it has enjoyed a long-lasting reputation! The main varieties are: money oranges, pear preserves, apricots, longevity oranges, dates, oranges, asparagus, peaches, apples, cherries, winter melons, etc. The products come in various shapes and tastes. They retain sugar and juice, moisturize and dissolve residue. They are sweet and delicious and stimulate saliva in the mouth. Neijiang Preserved Fruits Zhejiang Hangzhou has unique natural resource conditions, with more water and less fields. Fruits are everywhere and fruit tree planting has a long history. Lu Xian, a native of Hangzhou in the Ming Dynasty, brought the skills of processing candied fruits from other places back to his hometown, and gradually formed the handmade candied fruits with Hangzhou characteristics - sugar color, mainly including orange cake, bergamot, kumquat, green plum, etc. Volume 2 of "Qili Scenery" written by Zhang Zhinai during the Kangxi period records: "The method began with the Lu family." After the middle of the Ming Dynasty, Hangzhou preserved fruits have become a seasonal snack (snack food) that is "popular in both Beijing and Beijing". With the help of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, Sino-foreign transportation, exported to Suzhou, Shanghai, Nanjing and other places, as well as the capital. Preserved fruits are so famous that “their tastes are too numerous to mention.” According to local chronicles in the early Qing Dynasty, the candies at that time were mainly divided into two categories: sugar-made and honey-soaked. In modern times, sugar-colored foods that have been handed down include dozens of flavors such as green plums in sugar water, loquats in sugar water, plums in sugar water, kumquats, preserved apricots, etc., and "green plums in sugar water" is known as the first candied fruit. As early as in the famous "Suiyuan Food List" and "Tao" There are records in "An Meng Yi" and "Hangzhou Prefecture Chronicles". "Centennial Huichang" is the representative of many candy-making companies in Hangzhou for hundreds of years. The candied fruits produced during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty have been selected as tributes. During the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, "Centennial Huichang" has become the designated supplier of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
By the 34th year of the Republic of China, it had developed into a large business with a capital of 18,000 silver dollars, nearly a hundred employees, and four production workshops for preserves, tea, and lotus root starch. The products are exported to all provinces and the brand is well-known at home and abroad. In order to effectively inherit the precious traditional skills, Zhejiang's time-honored brand "Centennial Huichang", with the strong support of governments at all levels, restored traditional sugar production by visiting old artists and collecting old recipes, retaining and inheriting this rich flavor. Folk handicrafts with local characteristics and applied for the "Intangible Cultural Heritage List". Production technology The production technology combines the characteristics of northern and southern preserves: fresh fruits and vegetables → selection and grading → shape treatment → salting and drying → hardening treatment → rinsing → blanching → candied → candied → cooling Cantonese-style preserved fruit: originated in Guangzhou, Shantou and Chaozhou areas mainly produce licorice-flavored products and sugar-coated products. They have a production history of more than 1,000 years. At first, they mainly focused on preserved fruits, and then gradually developed sugar-coated products. Preserved fruit products have a semi-dry or dry surface, rich dry aroma, sweet and sour or sour, salty, and sweet flavors, and a long aftertaste in the mouth. Representative products include tangerine peel plums, cream plums, licorice star fruit, etc. Sugar-coated preserves have a pure texture with a layer of white icing on the surface, as if a layer of sugar has been poured on them. They are also called "sugar-coated preserves". The surface of its products is dry, frosted, sweet and glutinous in the mouth, with strong original fruit flavor. The products come in many colors and have unique flavors. Its representative products include winter melon candy, candied lotus root slices, candied water chestnuts, candied orange cakes, etc. Production process: Rose bayberry, salt-pickled licorice, sucrose, sweetener, preservatives, colorants, flavors ↓ ↓ Fresh fruit → Fruit embryo → Rinse and desalinate → Drying → Cooking in ingredient liquid → Pickling in ingredient liquid → Sun-drying → Packaging → Finished product Fujian-style preserved fruit: Originated from Xiamen, Fuzhou, Quanzhou and Zhangzhou in Fujian, where olives are abundant and used as the main raw material to make preserves. Therefore, Fujian-style preserves are represented by olive products. Fujian-style preserved fruit has a dry or semi-dry surface, low sugar content, slightly glossy texture, delicate and dense flesh, prominent added aroma, refreshing taste and aftertaste. Its representative varieties include Dafuguo, Huahejiayingzi, Shixiangguo, Liangyoulan, Rose Bayberry, Qingjin Guo, Lilac Olive, Huapi Olive, etc. Quality issues The main problem with candied fruits: Since candied fruits cannot be industrially produced due to traditional processes such as cooling and drying, the quality and safety of candied fruits has always been the main obstacle to the industry becoming bigger and stronger. This is mainly reflected in the excessive use of food additives. Sweetener, drying environment is not up to standard, etc. However, with the gradual improvement of industry standards and the implementation of quality and safety certification, more and more companies have realized that only high-quality products and honest brands can remain invincible. The "General Rules for Preserved Fruits" adopted in 2008 provides enterprises with a more detailed standard basis and lays the foundation for the modernized production of preserved fruits. The problem was exposed. On April 24, 2012, CCTV’s financial channel “Consumer Advocacy” broadcast an undercover interview program, saying that a large number of additives were used in the production process of some domestic candied fruits and the production environment was poor. The program showed that most of the candied fruits shipped from the factory are pickled, and the pickling place is a roadside cement pool. There is even a large roadside cement pool with about 50,000 kilograms of peach meat soaked in it. These cement pools are littered with rubbish and filthy. When the plastic film is lifted, a lot of peach flesh is rotten and deteriorated. Beside the cement pools, there are also many white woven bags with sodium metabisulfite printed on them. The processing staff said, "It is necessary to pickle during the pickling process." Sodium metabisulfite is used for bleaching and antiseptic purposes." National standards According to the "Hygienic Standards for the Use of Food Additives", the maximum amount of carmine used in candied fruits is 0.05g/kg. The carmine content of American cherries produced by Chaoda is 0.17g/kg. The maximum usage of amaranth in preserves is 0.05g/kg, and the maximum usage of bright blue is 0.0255g/kg. The blackcurrants produced by Chaoda have amaranth content of 0.145g/kg and bright blue content of 0.0855g/kg. . Sodium metabisulfite is a white powdery substance with good antiseptic and antioxidant effects. According to national standards, sodium metabisulfite can be added as a bleaching agent in the production of candied fruits. The maximum usage amount is calculated based on the residual amount of sulfur dioxide and is controlled within 0.05g/kg, but the illegal factory increases it based on region.
Official statement: The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China requires severe punishment of illegal manufacturers. The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China held a video dispatch meeting on April 25, 2012 to specifically listen to the illegal production activities of some preserved fruit manufacturers in Zhejiang, Shandong, Shanghai and other places in China. The quality supervision departments in the above-mentioned regions reported on the preliminary investigation and handling of illegal production problems of some candied fruit manufacturers, and instructed the quality supervision departments to further strictly investigate and rectify the problems existing in the problem enterprises and supervision work. The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine also requires local quality supervision departments to go to the sites of candied fruit production and processing enterprises and seriously deal with the problems found. Carry out regional special rectification in areas where the production and processing of preserved fruits are concentrated, and implement listing rectification in areas with outstanding problems. Illegal and criminal acts in the field of food production should be severely cracked down in accordance with the law and never be lenient. Health TV Comprehensive Report Precautions: Candied fruits, canned fruits and other processed fruit products are often regarded by some people as substitutes for fruits. In fact, this idea is wrong, especially candied fruits are loved by many children for their sweet taste, but here I also remind everyone that during the production process of candied fruit, the vitamin C contained in the fruit is basically completely destroyed, and the purity of the white sugar used in processing can reach more than 99.9%. In addition to a large amount of heat energy, such pure sugar contains almost no other Nutrition, while consuming large amounts of sugar can also lead to deficiencies of vitamin B and certain trace elements. Some candied fruit products also contain a large amount of preservatives and additives, which may be potentially harmful to the body if consumed for a long time. Therefore, be sure not to use candied fruit instead of fruit in your daily life.