Tang Hu Lu

An ancient snack created in the Song Dynasty. Traditionally made of fresh hawthorn fruit generally known and used to treat indigestion and reduce cholesterol.

Hawthorn fruits are naturally very acidic and difficult to consume alone so ancient Chinese people gave it a hard sugar coating, resulting in a sweet crunchy shell and a juicy sour filling. But BEWARE!! Some tanghulu still have the seeds. It can ABSOLUTELY crack a tooth or two.

Now, you may wonder why wouldn't they de-seed it? The old tang hu lu maker said the seeds gave them a better flavor profile. I tried both with and without seeds. I think what he meant was, seeded ones would help slow down consumption so you could better savor the flavor.

Considering I nearly popped a filling I would strongly recommend getting the seedless one. Whatever the reason it's not worth visiting a dentist.

TODAY, there are many fruit varieties of tang hu lu. Commonly seen ones are grapes, strawberries, and tangerines. They're not nearly as good and the original in my opinion. And they don't have the medicinal properties of the hawthorns either. They're beautiful to look at though. Especially when made into a trinket.

My love of tang hu lu has inspired me to make a pair of hawthorn tang hu lu earrings. It's cute, unique, and quite festive.

Tang Hu Lu Recipe:

2 parts sugar to 1 part water.

Heat in sauce pan to 300°F to reach hard crack stage, turn off heat. Dip skewered fruit into sugar to coat. Put on non-stick surface to cool.

Fruits must be dry. Water will make it difficult to coat them. Work quickly, when the sugar cools it will become thick and difficult to coat. Only fill pot half way. Sugar will bubble and foam and may overflow if you overfill your pot. Recommended for immediate consumption.