Tanghulu

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Tanghulu (simplified Chinese: ???; traditional Chinese: ???; pinyin: tánghúlu) also called bingtanghulu, is a traditional Chinese snack of candied fruit. It originated from northern China, but it is now commonly available in most Chinese cities, such as Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai. It consists of fruits covered in hard candy on bamboo skewers that are approximately 20 cm long.

The two common names literally means "sugar bottle gourd" and "rock sugar bottle gourd" respectively. The "sugar" or "rock sugar" refers to the sugar coating, while the "bottle gourd" refers to the slight resemblance of the snack to the shape of the gourd fruit.

Tanghulu typically has a hardened sugar coating that comes from dipping the skewer in sugar syrup, but versions can also be found with a second chocolate coating, or sesame sprinkles. Traditionally, the fruit used has been Chinese hawthorn, but in recent times vendors have also used various other fruits, such as cherry tomatoes, mandarin oranges, strawberries, blueberries, pineapples, kiwifruit, bananas, or grapes.

Video Tanghulu

History

Tanghulu originated from the Song dynasty. The imperial concubine was sick and did not feel like eating anything. A folk doctor provided a therapy which said simmer rock candy with haws and five to ten haws should be eaten by the imperial concubine before each meal. She followed the doctor and recovered. Then the therapy was spread to ordinary people and became a kind of popular snack. Haws have abundant medicine efficacy, like appetizing, nourish skin, mitigate fatigue and clearing heat. Haws are not the only core of Tanghulu, strawberries, bananas, tangerines and dates could be used to make Tanghulu.