What are tanghulu?
In Europe we have the candy apple, but in China you’ll find candied strawberries, clementines, grapes… To keep it simple, just say “tanghulu.” So what are they? Tanghulu are a sweet little snack you can find everywhere in China, from tiny roaming food trucks to grand Michelin-starred restaurants.
Put simply, tanghulu is a simple idea: a dessert made of one or more pieces of fruit threaded onto a skewer and coated in a crackly sugar shell.
Origins of Tanghulu
To trace tanghulu’s origins, travel back to the Song Dynasty (960–1279). A legend surrounds their creation—shall I tell it? Keep scrolling; it’s worth it…
Are tanghulu healthy?
Let’s be honest: not really. They’re very sugary. But like any treat, enjoyed in moderation they’re perfectly fine.
The legend behind tanghulu
According to legend, to treat one of Emperor Guangzong’s concubines, a doctor prescribed eating around ten hawthorn berries soaked in sugar syrup before each meal. Two weeks later, she was much better. Word of this miraculous remedy spread quickly among the people, including merchants, who saw a great business opportunity.
They began dipping hawthorn berries threaded onto bamboo skewers into syrup, and tanghulu was born! Even today, many people in China buy tanghulu not to eat right away, but to take them home in the hope they’ll bring good luck.
The best fruits for making tanghulu
The original tanghulu—the one from the legend—uses hawthorn berries. Not a fan of hawthorn? Your safest bet is strawberries. Another go-to fruit is apples: not only do they mimic hawthorn’s crisp bite, they also give you a burst of sweet juice with every crunch. Lately, grapes have earned a spot among tanghulu favorites too. Give them a try!
Quick tanghulu recipe
Ingredients
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 150 ml water
- 200 g strawberries
Instructions
- Melt the sugar in the water over medium heat.
- As soon as it turns golden, dip the strawberries—or any other fruit—into it.
Made these strawberry tanghulu last night and the sugar shell came out perfectly crackly; honestly they taste as good as, if not better than, the ones I’ve had at restaurants. The cold-water tip saved my caramel from burning 🙂
This tanghulu recipe has become our go-to treat for Lunar New Year and winter movie nights, and the crackly sugar shell always gets rave reviews. Strawberries are a hit, but grapes might be my new seasonal favorite 🙂
Thanks for sharing this tanghulu recipe, the steps and little anti-burning tip made it so easy to get that perfect crackly sugar shell on my strawberries 😊
So quick and easy to throw together on a busy weeknight when time was tight and I was exhausted; the crackly sugar shell turned out perfectly and the strawberries were a hit 🙂