Tanghulu
Skewered strawberries and grapes in a clear, glassy, crackling sugar shell. The Chinese street snack, made with two ingredients and a bowl of water.
Where This Goes Wrong
Dry the fruit completely with kitchen paper, and use it at room temperature. Wet or cold fruit makes the syrup cloudy and it slides off.
Do not stir the syrup after it boils, and do not let sugar crystals form on the sides of the pan. Brush them down with a wet pastry brush if they appear.
Handle the syrup with great care and keep children away from the hob. Boiling sugar sticks to the skin and burns badly.
Making Tanghulu
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Thread 3 or 4 pieces of fruit onto each skewer, pressing them together. Line a tray with baking parchment and have everything ready next to the hob.
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Put the sugar and water in a small, deep saucepan over medium heat and stir once to dissolve the sugar. Bring to the boil and boil, without stirring, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the syrup reaches 150°C / 300°F on a sugar thermometer and is a pale amber colour. A drop of the syrup should harden at once and snap when dropped into the iced water.
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Turn the heat to the lowest setting and tilt the pan. Quickly dip one skewer in the syrup, twirl it to coat all the fruit in a thin layer, lift it out and let the excess drip back into the pan.
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Lay the skewer on the tray, where the shell will harden in about 30 seconds, and repeat with the rest.
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Serve at once, while the shell is glassy and crisp.
What's Going On Here
Tanghulu is a traditional snack of northern China, and it is sold on the streets of Beijing in winter, and at temple fairs at the Lunar New Year. The classic version uses hawthorn berries, which are tart and slightly floury, skewered on bamboo sticks and coated in a hard, transparent shell of sugar, which contrasts with the sourness of the fruit. Tradition tells of an emperor of the Song dynasty and a healing tonic of hawthorn and sugar, and the true origin is unknown. In recent years the snack has become well known worldwide, after videos showed the loud crunch that the shell makes when it is bitten, and cooks began to use strawberries, grapes, mandarin segments and cherry tomatoes, which are easier to find than hawthorns. The fruit is not cooked at all. A syrup of sugar and water is boiled to the hard crack stage, about 150°C, and the skewers are dipped in it and twirled, and the syrup sets on the cold fruit in seconds to a thin, glassy layer. It is important to dry the fruit thoroughly, since any moisture on the surface stops the sugar sticking and makes it slide off. It is also important not to stir the syrup once it boils, which causes it to crystallise and turn cloudy. Work quickly and take care, because the sugar is extremely hot and can cause severe burns. Eat the tanghulu soon after they are made, since the shell melts in the humidity of a fridge.
Leftovers, Reheating and Keeping
Best eaten within 1 to 2 hours. Do not refrigerate, as the shell turns sticky and dissolves.
What to Serve Alongside
- Green tea
- Jasmine tea
- Fresh oranges
Still Wondering?
How long does Tanghulu take to make?
About 30 minutes in total — 15 minutes of preparation and 15 minutes of cooking. The recipe serves 6.
What are the key tips for making Tanghulu?
Dry the fruit completely with kitchen paper, and use it at room temperature. Wet or cold fruit makes the syrup cloudy and it slides off. Do not stir the syrup after it boils, and do not let sugar crystals form on the sides of the pan. Brush them down with a wet pastry brush if they appear. Handle the syrup with great care and keep children away from the hob. Boiling sugar sticks to the skin and burns badly.
What should I serve with Tanghulu?
Green tea; Jasmine tea; Fresh oranges.
How should Tanghulu be stored?
Best eaten within 1 to 2 hours. Do not refrigerate, as the shell turns sticky and dissolves.
Is Tanghulu suitable for a special diet?
This recipe is vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free and gluten-free. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.
How many calories are in Tanghulu?
About 124 kcal per serving, with 1 g protein, 30 g carbohydrate and 0 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.
Tanghulu Nutrition Facts
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.
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Written and tested by Turab
One person, one kitchen — no test kitchen, no team. How every recipe on this site is checked before it goes up.
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