Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

INTRODUCTION

Yams are closely related to lilies and grasses. Native to Africa and

Asia, yams vary in size from that of a small potato to a record 130 pounds

(as of 1999). There are over 600 varieties of yams and 95% of these crops

are grown in Africa. Yam, common name for some members of the

Dioscoreaceae, a family of tropical and subtropical climbing herbs or

shrubs with starchy rhizomes often cultivated for food. The largest

genus, Dioscorea, is commercially important in East Asia and in tropical

America. The thick rhizomes, often weighing 30 lbs. (13.6 kg) or more, are

used for human consumption and for feeding livestock. The sweet potato

which belongs to the morning glory family is sometimes erroneously called

yam.

The Japanese yam, one of the yams or sweet potato variety is

native to regions of China and Japan, areas that are much colder than

most yam cultivars can survive. Its first known cultivation can be dated

back to 50,000 BC. It was introduced to Europe during the 19th Century

potato blight as an alternative to the white fleshed potato. In the

Philippines, the Japanese yam is sometimes used as an alternative to

potato or white potato. It is also known as the storehouse of many health

benefits that people needs. So, the purpose of this research is to give

emphasis that the Japanese yam can be an alternative to potato which are

known expensive than yams or sweet potatoes.

People nowadays are health conscious. They are shy away in

eating meat and other fatty foods. In terms of nutritional content, Japanese

yam is healthier than white potato. Because contains dietary fiber and is

often touted as an excellent food to include in any weight loss regime. It is

also an excellent source of vitamin A that acts as an anti-aging agent

because it contains hyaluronic acid that is known to help keep wrinkles at

bay and help the skin looking young. These are also a very good source of

vitamin C, manganese, copper, pantothenic acid and vitamin B6.

Additionally, they are a good source of potassium, dietary fiber, niacin,

vitamin B1, vitamin B2 and phosphorus.

Japanese yams are a rich source of a variety of vitamins essential

for optimum health, including vitamins A, C, E and B6. According to the

USDA, Japanese yams contain 11,062mcg of the beta-carotene form of

vitamin A, for 202.2 percent of daily recommended intake of vitamin A.

One average-sized yam provides nearly 30 percent of the requirement for

vitamin C and about 12 percent of the vitamin B6 requirement. These

vitamins are thought to act as powerful antioxidants, preventing cellular

damage from free radicals in the body. Because Japanese yams are so

high in vitamins, they're often recommended as an essential part of a

healthy diet.
 This study aims to determine the acceptability of Japanese yam in

the market and how people patronize it as the main ingredient. And also

this study aims to help people to have a healthy living by buying,

patronizing and eating vegetables that is cheaper and affordable but still

giving us many health benefits.

In terms of the time table of the study, it started on September 2017

and will end on May 2019.

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Hash browns also called hash brown potatoes are a popular

breakfast dish, served today at fast food restaurants almost

everywhere. Hashed brown potatoes were a popular breakfast dish in

New York City in the 1890s and were served in the finest hotels. Hash

brown potatoes are diced, mixed with shortening and chopped onions, and

then fried to form a browned potato cake. I think author Barry Popik has a

good handle on the origins of this very popular dish.

The Japanese yam is native to regions of China and Japan, areas

that are much colder than most yam cultivars can survive. Its first known

cultivation can be dated back to 50,000 BC. It was introduced to Europe

during the 19th Century potato blight as an alternative to the white fleshed

potato. The Japanese yam was brought to Hawaii by Japanese immigrants

and is still cultivated there today. The Japanese yam is unlike a sweet

potato in its skin color and flesh. It is roughly oblong in shape with a thin,

rusted red colored skin, and a densely textured cream colored flesh. The
flesh is dry, starchy and subtly sweet. The skin retains the bitter flavor of

the root and it is recommended to peel the potato prior to eating.

World-wide there are about 6,500 sweet potato varieties including

wild accessions, farmer varieties, and breeding lines. The Japanese yam

is also commonly known as mountain yam, Satsuma imo and kotobuki, is

a sweet yam variety that is only distantly related to the potato. It is a root

vegetable and a member of the Dioscoreaceae family, which houses

predominantly perennial herbaceous vines. The yam is the tuber part of

the plant, most often storing nutrients and energy in the form of

carbohydrates and water, which sustains the plant's growth and ability to

survive adverse conditions.

Japanese yam hash bites is a new made version of snack which is

made of Japanese yam. It is a good storage and a storehouse of many

health benefits because it contains vitamin A that acts as an anti-aging

agent because it contain hyaluronic acid that is known to help keep

wrinkles at bay and help the skin looking young. These are also a

very good source of vitamin C, manganese, copper, pantothenic acid and

vitamin B6. Additionally, they are a good source of potassium, dietary

fiber, niacin, vitamin B1, vitamin B2 and phosphorus. Japanese yam hash

bites is a cheap priced or affordable snack but healthy. It is being

commonly known and prepared as breakfast but this new version of hash

brown bites can also be eaten as an afternoon snack.

The researcher comes up with this study of testing the feasibility of

the Japanese yam hash bites as the product in a business to test its
product demand in its target market and the competitiveness of the

proposed business on the business environment. And also, the researcher

aims to help the consumers whether children or adults to have a healthy

living. This research is all about the feasibility of Japanese yam as the

main ingredient used in hash brown bites.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Japanese Yam

According to Danny Chu (2014), Japanese yams are tuberous roots

that have purplish-red skin and whitish or yellowish flesh color. Although

largely similar to other type or variety of sweet potato, Japanese yams are

sweeter and have a softer texture. Good quality of Japanese yams does

not discolor when cut.

Diane Kraft and Ara DerMarderosian (2016) stated that yams are

tuberous root vegetable that is long and cylindrical whose flesh is

depending on species or variety. It ranges from off-white to yellow or pink

or purple and with skin that is either off-white., pink or purplish-pink. It is

classified under a botanical family. Yam contains natural steroid

precursors but does not have contraceptives properties, contrary to

popular belief that the phytochemical diosgenin found in wild yam is used

to manufacture human steroidal hormone.

Onion

Harish K. Sharma, Nicolas Y. Njintang, Rekha S. Singhal (2016).

Onions are from fibrous roots or bulbs. It belongs to tuber category. The

onion is the most familiar example of a true bulb.

Salt

As stated by Berkshire Hathaway (2015), salt plays an important

role in the preservation of stock cucumber by inhibiting the growth of

spoilage organism. Putting salt will help the product to extend the shelf life.

It will be convenient upon stock of the said product.

According to McMillan (2007), salt improves the keeping quality of

the food. It removes the water from the tissue of food and the cells of

spoilage organisms that may be present in it. The result in drying and/or

the inactivity of the microbial cells.

Blakeslee, Karen (2009), the salt used in making brined pickles

provides characteristics according to its flavor but it is also vital to safety

and texture. In fermented foods, salt flavors cause the growth of desirable

bacteria while inhibiting the growth of others. Strictly do not put more salt

when making fermented pickle.

According to Bradenton (2008), salt based pickle actually creates its

preservative properties through the act of lactic acid fermentation. Live

cultures that live in the vegetable reacts with the vegetables starches in

the presence of sea salt and water. They proliferate into trillions of

microbes within a few days. These lactic acid bacteria dominate and

ultimate rule this universe in a jar. This is the same microbial activity found
in a healthy human gut. They perform the very same tasks in the small

intestine as the pickling jar.

Tong

According to Alterado et.al (2013) various firms it is used for taking

hold of object for turning or moving delicate pieces of food.

In addition, Perdigon (2009) an implement for grasping, holding or

lifting objects, local name is sipit.

Frying Pan

According to Alterado et.al (2013) it is used for frying foods such as

fries, shanghai or chicken etc.

Perdigon (2009) stated that it is usually made of cast iron or heavy

aluminum used for frying and sauting. In Philippines it is known as kawali.

Frying

G. Sreeprakash (2014) stated that frying makes food lose its

enzymes almost completely without a trace. Frying a food item therefore

makes it difficult to get digested and when digested with great difficulty

after unnecessarily and mercilessly taxing our digestive system, they

seldom have any positive impact on our body because of the heavy load of

fat content in anything eaten fried.

Oil

According to Alterado et.al (2013), it cannot be used as substitute

for butter or margarine, and should not be used as unless a recipe

specifically states to it.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Theory of food

This theory of food is analogous to "theory of mind," the suite of

implicit cognitive skills that people use to negotiate the complex,

interactive human social universe. Like language, we have a propensity to

acquire a theory of mind, and both develop and become more complex

over the course of childhood and adolescence. We have critical periods

during childhood for the acquisition of language and theory of mind.

Theory of food is also something that is strongly influenced by our

childhood developmental environments. Almost everyone has an intuitive

appreciation for the fact that dietary habits can be set when young. Less

appreciated is just how powerful these cognitive dietary underpinnings can

be. These food-related cognitive processes combine to form a "theory of

food" that has been adaptive for us over the course of our evolution as an

omnivorous species. For an individual, a "first" theory of food may be as

wired into the mind as strongly as a first language. As cited in The

Omnivorous Mind (Harvard Univ. Press, 2012).

Theory of Nutrition

Food is the essence and the first condition of life. Not surprisingly,

all the universal natural science concepts have been including the theory

of nutrition as their important and essential part. In the history of science

there were two theories of nutrition. The first occurred in ancient times,

and the second the classical theory of a balanced diet has been

finally formed at the end of XIX the first half of XX century.

The ancient theory of nutrition is associated with the names of Aristotle

and Galen, and is a part of their representations of the living.

According to this theory the power to all structures of the body is

due to the blood, which is continuously formed in the digestive system of

nutrients as a result of a complex process of unknown to nature, in a way

similar to the fermentation. The liver cleanses the blood, and then it is

used to supply all the organs and tissues. Based on these representations,

numerous therapeutic diets were built, that were to provide an easier

transformation of food into the blood with the best qualities of the latter.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

This study is conceptualized on three models presented in the

figure below that is composed of three boxes presenting the input, process

and output that will be used in making Japanese yam hash bites.
 Input Process Output

Ingredients: - Washing

- Japanese - Peeling
yam
- Onion - Grating
- Salt
- Mixing
Tools:
Japanese Yam Hash
- Molding
- Grater Bites
- Knife or - Frying
peeler
- Frying pan
- Spoon
- Tong or
spatula

HYPOTHESIS

There is no significant difference in producing Japanese yam hash bites

compared to the common hash brown.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This research was conducted to prove the feasibility of producing

Japanese yam hash bites. Specifically, it sought to answer the questions

relating to the following aspects:

Marketing Aspect

Who will be the target market?

Who is the prospect aspect in marketing?

Who are the competitors in the proposed product?

Technical Aspect

Where is the strategic location of the proposed product?

What is the unit price for each hash bites?

Is the product price affordable for the customers?

Financial Aspect

How much capital is needed in starting this kind of business?

How the business will control the expenses?

What are the sources of capital?

Socio-economic Aspect

Who would be benefited in this study?

What are the benefits that the customer will get?

How will the proposed product affect the existing potato hash

brown?

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This section shows the list of the beneficiaries of the study that will

maximize the availability and marketability of the product.

Entrepreneurs

This study will be an additional source of income especially for

those whose main concern is selling snacks.

Future Researchers

This study will be a great help for the future researchers because

this study will give them valuable information and an idea in improving

their current study and serves as their guide.

Students

This study will benefit the marketing students to enhance their

learning capabilities and help them realize the importance of good nutrition

that is essential to good health as well as physical and mental

development.

Faculty

This study will help the marketing instructors to serve as an

additional teaching material on how to produce a variety of food using

cheaper but nutritious raw materials.

Customers

The customers would be benefited on this product because it

contains nutrients, vitamins and other health benefits. And also, the

researcher had priced the product at cheaper or inexpensive price.

SCOPE AND LIMITATION

This study focuses on how Japanese yam hash bites can be sold

as a product. And also the study aims to prove the feasibility of the

proposed product in the market. It serves as a snack or breakfast not just

for Filipino citizen but also for foreign. This study was conducted in Laguna

State Polytechnic University-SCC and in Barangay Pinagbayanan, Pila,

Laguna.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

For better understanding of the research study, the following terms

were defined operationally:

Japanese yam- is a sweet potato variety with a thin rusted red-colored

skin and cream or yellowish colored flesh. The flesh is dry, starchy and

subtly sweet while the skin is bitter in flavor.

Salt- it pertains to sodium chloride a widely-distributed compound, used by

men from immemorial as a seasoning.

Onion- a widely cultivated Asian herb of the lily family with pungent and

edible bulbs.

Snack- a small portion of food or drink or a light meal especially one eaten

between regular meals.

Breakfast- a meal eaten in the morning, the first meal of the day.
Grating-The process of transforming solid, firm food items into small

pieces by rubbing the item against a grating instrument

Frying- to cook in a pan or on a griddle over heat especially with the use

of fat or oil.