Organising Heritage-Food Production: Seasonal Processing and Ageing Maintenance in Xinhui Chenpi

The sociocultural sustainability of food heritage raises questions about how culturally significant production practices are organised and carried out in contemporary working lives. This qualitative study examines how seasonal processing and maintenance during multi-year ageing are organised in Xinhui Chenpi production in Guangdong, China. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 28 participants, participant observation, field observation, and documentary materials, the study uses thematic analysis to examine practical judgement and work organisation. Drying requirements informed harvest timing and processing volume, while recurrent storage care drew on time also required for cultivation and processing. Practitioners’ accounts of different age categories described continued inspection alongside declining routine re-sunning, with material conditions and handling risks informing treatment choices. Arrangements of space, labour, and family time supported the use of practical knowledge, while demonstration, comparison, and everyday watching provided opportunities to encounter that knowledge. The analysis specifies how dependencies among seasonal operations and recurrent storage responsibilities enter shared working arrangements, while distinguishing recurrent assessment from the frequency of further treatment. By relating the contemporary enactment of culturally associated preparation and care to practical judgement, knowledge communication, and working conditions, the study contributes empirical insights to food-heritage sustainability research.