Preserved fruit, a traditional food of China, is processed with many kinds of fruits cured. The original materials come from areas scatter over Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian and the middle of Taiwan. In the Han Dynasty, 200 AD, the ancestors of the Chinese nation began to cure fruit. Later in the flourishing age of the Tsui Dynasty and Tang Dynasty, preserved fruit such as sugar-preserved peach, sugar-preserved plum and sugar-preserved pear was popular snack food. Hereon, the skill of making preserved fruit spread to Japan and Korea and was widely used. With the passing of time, economic development and technological advancement lead to improve processing skills, raised quality and greater variety of preserved fruit. At present, it is believed kinds of preserved fruit sold all over the world may be several hundreds.
The primary materials of preserved fruit include plum, peach, apricot, orange, haw, etc. Although it is agreed that fruit provides many vitamins, which people need and eating fruits is beneficial to health, fruit is perishable and cannot be preserved for a long time. However, the process of making preserved fruit not only enhances the flavour favour of fruit, but also preserves it and the vitamins without refrigeration. Preserved fruit is easy to bring along and can be enjoyed at any time and place. It can quench thirst and leave sweet smelling at odontophore. It becomes one of the best choices as snack food for travellers and gifts.
Nowadays, Hong Kong, by its special geographical position, becomes the hinge of transit of preserved fruit, just as other trade. Merchants in Hong Kong cooperate with masters of preserved fruit to centralize the exquisite technology all over the world and initiate a series of preserved fruit having Hong Kong flavour, such as sugar-preserved prune, sugar-preserved plum, sugar-preserved apricot, etc, which is welcomed by many people. In recent years, with the immigration from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Mainland China to Canada, Australia and New Zealand, preserved fruit moves to overseas markets and is accepted by local people gradually.
Among various manufacturers, Hong Kong’s “Tang” achieves best sales for Chan Pui Mui, Chan Pui Keung, Chan Pui Lemon, Special Select Hang Po, Chan Pui Ying Che, Assorted Fruit, Lemon Ginger, Mui Chung Mui, Lan Chung Lan, Dried Plum etc. The products of “Tang” are praised highly by the public and not only grasp vast market in Taiwan, Philippines, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and some tax-free harbours of China, but also reach the United States, Canada, Britain, Belgium, etc.
File: History of Preserved Fruit – English.doc 181200 JMWL