Tanghulu Candied Hawthorn Traditional Recipe
Tanghulu Candied Hawthorn Traditional Recipe by Melissa Chen.
A few years ago we planted a Chinese hawthorn bush in order to make traditional Chinese tang hulu candy. After waiting two years, the bush is now bearing enough fruit to make bing tang hulu!
Tanghulu is a traditional northern Chinese snack made by skewering fruit (most classically Chinese hawthorn, Crataegus pinnatifida) and coating it in sugar syrup which hardens into a brittle glaze. It is believed to date back to the Song Dynasty (960–1279 AD). Originally this treat was likely more medicinal (hawthorn being used for its digestive and health properties) in addition to being a snack. Over time it transitioned to be more of a street food / sweet treat commonly sold by vendors in northern China.
First we pick the organic hawthorn berries from our bush. The hawthorn berry harvest happens in early October on the west coast of British Columbia.
After washing and drying the berries, we skewer them onto wooden sticks. We then caramelize the sugar and dip the skewers into the sugar, coating the hawthorn berries in a glossy coat of hard sugar.
Tanghulu Candied Hawthorn Traditional Recipe
Equipment
- 1 small pot
- 1 tall and narrow metal container (optional but makes dipping much easier)
- 3 long wooden skewer sticks
- 1 sheet of aluminum foil
- 1 candy thermometer (optional)
Ingredients
- 18 hawthorn berries (If you don't have hawthorn berries, crab apples or strawberries can be used.)
- 2.5 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 tbsp corn syrup
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Wash and dry the hawthorn berries.
- Break the wooden skewers in half. Skewer the hawthorn berries onto wooden sticks. Putting 3 berries on each stick makes it easier to dip into the sugar.
- Combine the sugar, corn syrup and water in a small pot and stir until mixed. Bring to a boil and then turn down heat to keep it on a simmer.
- While the sugar is simmering, lay out a sheet of aluminum foil to place the candied hawthorns onto.
- Simmer sugar until it turns golden in colour. A trick is to watch the amount of steam that is rising from the sugar. When no steam is rising, that means that all of the water has boiled away and the sugar will quickly start to turn golden in colour. If you use a candy thermometer, it is done at 325° F – 340° F (163° C – 171° C)
- Pour the caramelized sugar into the tall, narrow metal container.
- Dip the skewers in the caramelized sugar and set the candy onto the aluminum. They are ready to eat when the sugar has hardened.
Notes
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