An engine of record is a scalable data storage solution that can adapt to varying data volumes without requiring an overhaul of the existing architecture. The text explains how to construct an engine of record using Redpanda, BigQuery, and Apache Spark, emphasizing the importance of integrating these tools for low latency, fast computation, and data integrity. It provides a detailed tutorial on setting up Redpanda with Docker, connecting Apache Spark to BigQuery, and streaming data from Redpanda to BigQuery for real-time processing. The process includes creating a Redpanda cluster, producing data streams, setting up a BigQuery project and dataset, and configuring Apache Spark with appropriate dependencies and authentication. The tutorial illustrates the practical application of the engine of record in scenarios like food ordering systems and IoT sensor data management, demonstrating how real-time data streaming can efficiently handle large volumes and dynamic data needs. The tutorial also provides guidance on running the setup and validating outputs in BigQuery, with resources and code available for reference.