Easy Tanghulu Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is tanghulu made of? ›

Fruit: Tanghulu traditionally has hawthorn berries but you can use any fruit of your choice. I am using grapes and strawberries. I think tanghulu is best with sour and tart fruits to balance out the sweetness of the candy coating. Sugar: Sugar creates the hard candy coating and adds sweetness to the fruits.

Tanghulu is rich in Vitamin C, pectin and chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, maslinic acid, oleanolic acid, quercetin, ursolic acid, chrysin, epicatechin and other organic acids and nutritional elements. The Chinese Hawthorn may have medicinal effects, such as reducing the effects of constipation and dysentery and ...

The sugar will crystallize if you stir it while you cook it. Make sure you don't stir the sugar after it comes to a simmer. If it does crystallize, add another half cup of water and start the process again. If making chocolate tanghulu, once the cocoa powder is added, it will begin to crystallize.

If you under-cook the syrup, there is a risk of it remaining sticky and not hard (like toffee). To ensure this doesn't happen, ensure the syrup reaches a hard crack (300F). Will Tanghulu melt?

Once the mixture comes to a boil, do not stir it as this can cause the sugar to crystalize. Bring the mixture to a boil until it comes to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

You'll often see traveling street traders with their long bamboo skewers of shiny candied fruit tucked into tall ornamental gourds, making them something of a display item. 'Tanghulu' actually means 'bottle gourd' in Chinese, which is a type of fruit commonly eaten during the winter months in China.

Eating sweets like tanghulu is not conducive to good health. Recent statistics indicate that the obesity rate among people in their 20s has exceeded 25 percent. This may be related to increased sugar intake these days, and tanghulu is but one example of "unhealthy" food.

The sugar in fruit is not a cause of concern for most people, considering that it's high in fiber and nutrients. But fruit sugar in the form of sweeteners can become problematic if you consume too much of it in processed foods. Aim to eat 2 cups of fruit per day, along with vegetables, lean protein, and healthy fat.

Keep in mind some fruits spoil faster than others. Moreover, the sugar coating may absorb the juices and water from the fruit, which can make it soft in the long run. Thus, I highly recommend eating tanghulu within the day after making it.

Why did my tanghulu melt in the fridge? ›

Sugar will start to absorb moisture from the fruits, and over time will start to dissolve and melt off the fruit. You can delay this process by placing the finished tanghulu in the freezer. However, they will need to be eaten as soon as they are defrosted.

If it's still soft and sticks to your teeth, keep cooking! Watch the sugar mixture carefully because it's easy to burn. The time it takes will depend on the heat you're using. The mixture will turn a light golden brown when ready.

Storing. It's best to eat tanghulu immediately for a perfectly crunchy texture. However, if you have leftovers, keep them in an airtight container for up to 3 hours in the fridge. You can store them for up to a few weeks, but the sugar syrup will start becoming sticky and lose its crunch.

Add 1 cup of glutinous rice flour, ½ cup of rice flour, and ½ cup cold milk (can also use soy milk, oat milk, or water) in a large bowl. You can also add ½ cup powdered sugar if you want to skip the tanghulu coating. Since the crunchy sugar coating is sweet enough, I would skip the sugar in my dango dough.

But what is it exactly? Imagine your choice of fruits enveloped in a glassy layer of hardened sugar syrup. Irresistibly sweet and crunchy, not to mention highly Instagrammable, tanghulu wins hearts with its contrasting sensations. The outer shell's brittle crunch gives way to succulent, juicy fruit within.

The Chinese hawthorn berry is a tiny, tart sphere that looks a bit like a crab apple. To turn the berries into the popular street snack known as tanghulu, vendors place several on a bamboo skewer and coat them in caramelized sugar. The result is a sweet, crispy coating surrounding a chewy, sour fruit.

A food's popularity in a foreign country is often attributed to its own unique charm, and tanghulu is no exception. Not only does tanghulu provide a delightful taste experience, but it also offers consumers a surprise when mixed with different ingredients.