Winter melon buchi / Jenly A. Bermido, [and 3 others].

Undergraduate Theses (BSHM) - Hospitality Management. Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges, 2024.

Includes bibliographic references.

Winter melon (Benincasa Hispida) is an under-utilized local ingredient which could be a sustainable and cost-effective buchi filling ingredient in traditional snacks. This study aims to determine the acceptability of Winter Melon Buchi as a functional food product and to also incorporate winter melon as an alternative to common fillings used in buchi such as mung bean paste. The 50 respondents were given questionnaires to evaluate the product's level of acceptability based on appearance, aroma, taste, texture, and overall acceptability, as well as the degree of sweetness (less sweet, moderately sweet, and more sweet). Among the respondents, 40 were students, and 10 were faculty members from Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges. The samples were evaluated based on the appearance, aroma, taste, and texture using a quantitative-descriptive research and experimental research design. Overall acceptability scores reflected that all three variations of Winter Melon Buchi were acceptable, with the "average sweet" as variation gaining the highest scores under overall acceptability. Winter melon as a filling was further proven to be a non-traditional filling without compromising the sensory attributes of the traditional buchi and therefore can be a successful alternative for high-priced conventional fillings. It could serve as a sustainable food supply because it utilizes a crop that is considered to be neglected and makes fillings that would be healthier than the traditional ones. The results indicate that Buchi made of Winter Melon will make a great product in the local food industry. The study suggests the development of product and implementation strategies to further market Winter Melon Buchi as a new product in the market of the Philippines.