What Is Tanghulu?

Tanghulu is a popular snack sold by street vendors in China. Colorful rows of fruit on a skewer glisten with a hard candy coating. It’s a stunning sweet treat and despite its fancy appearance, is actually quite easy to make.

Tanghulu Recipes
– Classic Strawberry Tanghulu
– Mandarin Orange (or Tangerine) Tanghulu

About Tanghulu

Tanghulu is a traditional northern Chinese snack. It’s a popular street food because it’s served on a long bamboo skewer making it easy to eat on the go.

To make tanghulu, fresh fruit is added to the bamboo sticks. The skewered fruit is then dipped in simple sugar syrup. The hardened sugar syrup creates a hard crunchy and delicious shell around the fruit.

Chinese hawthorn fruit (also known as eastern hawthorn fruit) is traditionally used. The tart flavor and firm texture of hawthorn berries (kind of like a crab apple) work particularly well with the hard sweet sugar coating of tanghulu.

Today many different types of fruits are used including mandarin oranges, blueberries, kiwi, pineapple, bananas, grapes and even cherry tomatoes.

One of the most popular treats though is tanghulu strawberries.

FAQs About Tanghulu

Q. How do you store tanghulu?

A. Tanghulu tastes best when eaten right away. This fruit snack is sensitive to humidity and moisture, so it must be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Q. How do you make tanghulu sugar?

A. Add sugar and water to a small saucepan. Swirl the pan gently if needed. On high heat, bring the candy mixture to a boil until a candy thermometer reaches 300 degrees Fahrenheit (hard crack stage).

Q. How long does tanghulu take to harden?

A. Tanghulu sugar needs to be boiled to 300 degrees F. It usually takes about 5-10 minutes. If this step is completed properly, the sugar will harden almost immediately.

Q. Can I make tanghulu without a thermometer?

A. If a candy thermometer is unavailable, you can still make tanghulu by using an alternative method. Allow the water and sugar mixture to boil for about 5 minutes.

Dip a spoon into icy, cold water. Then dip the spoon into the hot syrup. The syrup is ready if it hardens immediately on the spoon. Test at 1-minute intervals until ready.

Q. What is tanghulu made of?

A. Tanghulu is made with fruit, water and sugar. It is traditionally made in China with Hawthorn fruit, but any firm, tart fruit can be used. Strawberry tanghulu and Mandarin Orange (or Tangerine) tanghulu are popular choices.

Q. What does tanghulu taste like?

A. Depending on the fruit used, tanghulu is a sweet and tart fruit snack. Very sweet fruits like pineapple will result in a sweeter tanghulu. The hardened sugar coating is sweet and crunchy. Try our strawberry and mandarin orange recipes.

Q. How do you eat tanghulu?

A. The best way to enjoy tanghulu is right after it is made. You can bite the candy coating fruit right from the skewer or remove from the wooden sticks to eat.

Q. Is tanghulu supposed to stick to your teeth?

A. No, tanghulu should not stick to your teeth. The coating should be hard and crunchy. If it’s soft or a sticky mess, the sugar solution did not cook long enough.

Q. Why is my tanghulu sticky?

A. If your tanghulu is sticky, the most likely problem is too much moisture. The sugar syrup solution must cook to 300 degrees Fahrenheit to reach what is called the hard-crack stage. When it is allowed to boil to the proper temperature, usually about 5-10 minutes, the extra moisture is cooked out.

If tanghulu starts out with a hard, crunchy shell, but then becomes sticky, moisture is to blame again. If possible, enjoy it immediately after making it. If that’s not possible, store in a cool, airtight container away from moisture and humidity.

Q. Can you refrigerate tanghulu?

A. If you won’t be eating it right when you make it, tanghulu may be refrigerated. Be sure it’s kept in an airtight container. It will technically last 1-2 weeks, but the appearance, crunch, and flavor will start to lessen the longer it is stored.