Consumer preference, quality, and financial analysis of tekwan made from snakehead, yellow tail, wolf herring, and spanish mackerels

Abstract

Tekwan is a traditional processed fish product from South Sumatra, characterized by its flat shape and small size, resembling fish meatballs. Essentially, tekwan is made using Belida or Snakehead fish, where the fish stocks are running low. Raw materials represent one of the most critical components in a production process. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of utilizing various fish raw materials on consumer preference, quality, and financial analysis of tekwan. The experimental design employed was a randomized design with 4 treatments and 3 replications. The treatments consisted of snakehead, yellowtail, wolf herring, and Spanish mackerels. The use of different kinds of fish in terms of chemical characteristics shows no apparent differences in fat, water, and ash levels, but significant differences (p<0.05) exist for protein levels. In the physical characteristics of the tekwan, a significant difference (p<0.05) is observed in the hardness value. In the consumer’s preference test, corks and machetes received similar ratings, while yellowtail and mackerel obtained higher preference rates. Based on the financial analysis, snakehead does not seem to be worth the effort, whereas yellowtail, mackerel, and dorab demonstrate business worthiness.