{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.iron-egg","code":"thing-q6072967","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q6072967/","name":"iron egg","alternateNames":[],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.1.0-research.1","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Physical world and living systems","entryKind":"thing","plane":"PHY","domain":["PHY.MAT"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"An iron egg is a Taiwanese preserved egg preparation made by repeatedly braising peeled, hard-boiled eggs in seasoned liquid and drying them between cooking cycles, producing a dark exterior and a firm, chewy texture.","purpose":"Enable an agent to recognise an iron egg as a prepared egg food, assess its processing and condition, and select handling or serving actions supported by product evidence.","scope":{"in":["Identity and boundaries of the iron egg food preparation","Egg substrate and seasoning formulation","Braising and drying history that produces the finished egg","Colour, chewiness, moisture and size changes","Packaged or unpackaged condition and product-specific handling evidence"],"out":["General egg anatomy, reproduction and biological development owned by Egg","Poultry husbandry and egg production systems","Elemental iron, iron alloys and egg-shaped metal objects","Other prepared egg types except as identification comparators","Manufacturing equipment and factory operations beyond their effects on the egg","Retail businesses and regional tourism as independent subjects"],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["Identify an edible egg preparation rather than a metal object; the name alone does not establish iron composition or nutritional iron content.","Look for a dried, braised preparation, rather than accepting every cooked or seasoned egg as an iron egg. [Tamkang University](https://english.tku.edu.tw/foodmap-detail.asp?id=23)","Use the characteristic dark appearance and chewy texture together with preparation evidence; these features are described for Tamsui iron eggs. [New Taipei City Tourism](https://newtaipei.travel/en/shop/detail/208170)","Distinguish from an ordinary soy-braised egg through documented drying or repeated processing and the resulting texture; colour alone is insufficient.","Distinguish from a century egg through the recorded preparation route, rather than treating all dark preserved eggs as equivalent."],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"prepared-egg-identity","name":"Prepared egg identity","description":"Establishes which food the registry name denotes and what it adds to Egg.","layers":[{"id":"name-and-referent","name":"Name and referent","description":"Resolves the food meaning and its regional association.","findings":[{"id":"iron-egg-food-sense","name":"Iron egg food sense","description":"Record evidence connecting the registry entry to the dried, braised egg snack; Tamsui association supports identification but is not proof of production location. [Tamkang University](https://english.tku.edu.tw/foodmap-detail.asp?id=23)","questions":[{"text":"Which registry link, label or description establishes that this entry denotes the prepared food?","id":"iron-egg-food-sense-q01","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Does a Tamsui reference describe the food tradition, the producer's location or a claimed manufacturing origin?","id":"iron-egg-food-sense-q02","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"egg-specialisation","name":"Egg specialisation","description":"Separates the preparation-specific model from its broader egg substrate.","findings":[{"id":"preparation-boundary","name":"Preparation boundary","description":"Inherit the base egg identity and record the processing and finished attributes used to distinguish iron eggs from neighbouring preparations.","questions":[{"text":"Which properties belong to the underlying Egg record and which arise from iron-egg preparation?","id":"preparation-boundary-q01","kind":"boundary"},{"text":"What processing evidence distinguishes this specimen from an ordinary soy egg, tea egg or century egg?","id":"preparation-boundary-q02","kind":"definition"}]}]}]},{"id":"egg-and-seasoning","name":"Egg and seasoning","description":"Records the edible substrate and formulation responsible for product variation.","layers":[{"id":"egg-input","name":"Egg input","description":"Captures the base egg before preparation changes its size and surface.","findings":[{"id":"substrate-specification","name":"Substrate specification","description":"Record species, initial mass, source lot and the shell-removal stage when documented, without assuming one substrate for every iron egg.","questions":[{"text":"What species and initial size grade are documented for the eggs used?","id":"substrate-specification-q01","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"At what preparation stage was the shell removed, and what evidence records that stage?","id":"substrate-specification-q02","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"seasoning-variation","name":"Seasoning variation","description":"Separates a product's declared flavour from its verified ingredients.","findings":[{"id":"formulation-and-flavour","name":"Formulation and flavour","description":"Record formulation independently of the food name; original, spicy, garlic and plum variants are described by New Taipei tourism. [New Taipei City Tourism](https://newtaipei.travel/en/shop/souvenir)","questions":[{"text":"Which ingredients and proportions are documented for this product or batch?","id":"formulation-and-flavour-q01","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which ingredient declarations determine whether this variant meets the intended eater's restrictions?","id":"formulation-and-flavour-q02","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"braising-and-drying","name":"Braising and drying","description":"Represents the preparation history that changes an egg into the finished snack.","layers":[{"id":"processing-sequence","name":"Processing sequence","description":"Records cooking, seasoning and drying stages without imposing a universal recipe.","findings":[{"id":"documented-stage-history","name":"Documented stage history","description":"Capture the actual sequence, including whether braising and drying are repeated, and distinguish observed records from producer descriptions.","questions":[{"text":"What sequence of cooking, braising, cooling and drying is documented?","id":"documented-stage-history-q01","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"What cycle counts, durations and temperatures were recorded for this batch?","id":"documented-stage-history-q02","kind":"measurement"}]}]},{"id":"drying-endpoint","name":"Drying endpoint","description":"Relates preparation intensity to the finished egg's physical state.","findings":[{"id":"endpoint-evidence","name":"Endpoint evidence","description":"Record the producer's completion criteria and measured effects rather than inventing a minimum cycle count.","questions":[{"text":"What mass change, moisture measurement or texture criterion defines completion for this formulation?","id":"endpoint-evidence-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"What documented process instruction governs further drying or acceptance when the target endpoint is missed?","id":"endpoint-evidence-q02","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"finished-egg-quality","name":"Finished egg quality","description":"Makes the characteristic appearance and eating texture assessable.","layers":[{"id":"surface-and-size","name":"Surface and size","description":"Examines darkening, shrinkage and consistency across finished eggs.","findings":[{"id":"appearance-profile","name":"Appearance profile","description":"Record surface colour, dimensions and visible defects using comparable inspection conditions.","questions":[{"text":"What colour and size distribution does the finished batch show under a stated inspection method?","id":"appearance-profile-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"Which uneven patches, cracks or surface changes depart from the producer's accepted reference?","id":"appearance-profile-q02","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"bite-and-flavour","name":"Bite and flavour","description":"Separates intended chewiness and seasoning from undesirable deviations.","findings":[{"id":"eating-quality-profile","name":"Eating quality profile","description":"Record white and yolk texture separately where useful, together with the flavour variant and serving temperature.","questions":[{"text":"How do the white and yolk differ in firmness or chewiness at the stated serving temperature?","id":"eating-quality-profile-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"Which sensory criteria distinguish the intended product from an excessively hard, brittle or unexpectedly soft egg?","id":"eating-quality-profile-q02","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]},{"id":"storage-and-serving","name":"Storage and serving","description":"Connects the finished egg's package and exposure history to supported handling decisions.","layers":[{"id":"product-storage-evidence","name":"Product storage evidence","description":"Associates storage claims with the actual formulation, processing and package.","findings":[{"id":"storage-claim-applicability","name":"Storage claim applicability","description":"Record labelled conditions and supporting validation where available, keeping sealed and opened states distinct.","questions":[{"text":"What storage conditions and dated shelf-life evidence apply to this formulation and package?","id":"storage-claim-applicability-q01","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Do recorded water activity, packaging and any preservation treatment match the product covered by that evidence?","id":"storage-claim-applicability-q02","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"current-use-state","name":"Current use state","description":"Assesses the specific egg or pack before serving.","findings":[{"id":"handling-decision","name":"Handling decision","description":"Use package integrity, opening history and applicable instructions to select the next action; retain uncertainty when those records are missing.","questions":[{"text":"Is the pack intact, when was it opened, and what storage exposure is documented?","id":"handling-decision-q01","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Do the applicable product instructions support serving, continued storage or rejection in its current state?","id":"handling-decision-q02","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"evidence-and-external-alignment","name":"Evidence and external alignment","description":"What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.","layers":[{"id":"reported-evidence","name":"Reported evidence","description":"Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.","findings":[{"id":"evidence-confidence-notes","name":"Check these first","description":"Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these check these first hold for the sense of iron egg this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-confidence-notes-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-kinds","name":"Kinds and varieties","description":"Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of iron egg this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-kinds-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-real-world-use","name":"Real-world use","description":"Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of iron egg this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-real-world-use-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-failure-modes-and-hazards","name":"Failure modes and hazards","description":"Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of iron egg this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-failure-modes-and-hazards-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-regional-variation","name":"Regional variation","description":"Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of iron egg this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-regional-variation-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-neighbours","name":"Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart","description":"Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of iron egg this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-neighbours-q01","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Describe the iron egg as a Taiwanese preserved egg snack and its origin.","Report ingredients, storage instructions and dates from the packaging."],"mustNot":["Sell iron eggs past their stated date or with damaged packaging.","Serve iron eggs to someone when they contain that person's declared allergen or their suitability for that allergy is uncertain.","Describe them as unprocessed or low in salt when they are not.","Present homemade iron eggs as safe for long storage without proper preservation."],"requiresHuman":["Approving a homemade product for sale to the public requires human judgment."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Preserved foods must be honest about salt and storage to protect health.","Local specialities sustain small producers whose names and origin deserve protection."],"affectedParties":["Consumers","Small producers","People with egg allergy"]},"owners":{"steward":"The producer or seller; food safety authorities set the rules for sale.","roles":[],"masterSystems":[]},"relations":[{"target":"Q28100194","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.iron-egg","Wikidata: Q6072967 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6072967)"]},"properties":{"applicability":"required","items":["Base egg: Link to Egg with species, original size grade and supplier lot where known","Seasoning formulation: Declared ingredients, flavour variant and formulation version; unknown permitted","Braising and drying history: Ordered processing stages with available cycle counts, durations and conditions","Finished colour: CIELAB values or a documented visual scale under specified lighting","Texture: Compression or cutting force in N under a specified method; separate sensory chewiness scale","Processing mass change: g per egg before and after processing; percentage change with a stated baseline","Moisture condition: Moisture percentage with basis specified; water activity dimensionless at stated temperature","Package and exposure state: Unpackaged, sealed, opened or compromised; opening time and storage history where known"]},"recognition":{"applicability":"required","items":["Small, shrunken eggs with a dark brown to black, shiny exterior.","A firm, chewy texture; often sold vacuum-packed in small bags.","Sometimes made from quail eggs as well as chicken eggs."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["Classify a candidate product using preparation evidence and finished sensory properties.","Compare iron-egg batches by base egg, seasoning, drying history and chewiness.","Select a flavour and portion using declared ingredients and finished egg size.","Check whether package condition and storage history satisfy the product's documented instructions.","Flag uncertain identity, unexplained texture changes or unsupported storage claims for review."]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Spoilage of improperly preserved or stored eggs.","High salt content.","Choking risk for small children with small whole eggs."]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["The General Principles of Food Hygiene, issued by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, applies to hygienic preparation and handling of egg-based foods.","The General Standard for the Labelling of Prepackaged Foods, issued by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, applies when iron eggs are sold as prepackaged foods."]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["Iron eggs are encountered in Taiwanese snack culture, particularly in association with Tamsui.","They are eaten as savory snacks or accompaniments and sold as prepared foods whose storage requirements depend on processing and packaging."]}},"sources":[{"title":"Wikidata item Q6072967: iron egg","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6072967","note":"identity and sense of the item"},{"title":"Wikipedia: Iron egg","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_egg","note":"general description of the item"}],"openQuestions":["Does the registry's underlying source explicitly identify the Taiwanese food, and should its current domain classification be refined?","Is there a documented definition that sets a minimum processing or texture distinction between an iron egg and an ordinary soy-braised egg?","Which egg species and modern processing variants are accepted within the same food identity?","What reproducible measurements and acceptance ranges distinguish desirable chewiness from excessive hardness across egg sizes?","What product-specific validation supports storage life before and after opening for different formulations and packages?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q6072967/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q6072967/spec.json"],"providers":["Codex"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-12T10:34:29Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"filled","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-07T12:16:33+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 2 live sources; review by codex: pass"},"score":1.0}}