TangHulu

Whoops…..found this post sitting in my draft covered with spider webs. I must have forgotten to post it up..So, here it is! Better late than never, right? =PRemember my “Eating Spree” posting where we bought a stick of candy known as “Tanghulu” from a street vendor in Flushing, NY? I finally ate it a few days later and it was a lil’ messy. The hardened candy coating was sticky mess, although it was a great combo with the pickled slightly tangy-sour “UFO” (Unidentified Fruity Object) in the inside. Being a newbie to this candy, I went ahead to do a little Google-ing and Wikipedia-ing to find more information on this oh-so-cute and interesting Chinese Candy. Tanghulu is a popular traditional winter snack / candy especially in Beijing. I wonder if this street vendor in Flushing will sell these candies in the summer? Traditionally Chinese Hawthorn berries (San Zha) are used to make this candy, although recently vendors are also using strawberries, and kiwis as a new variation.  Apparently, the ones sold in Beijing are usually about 20cm long and from various pictures I see on the Internet; there are easily 8-10 berries per stick – compared to my “mini” Tanghulu with only 4-5 fruits on a stick! Well, I’m hoping that the stick of Tanghulu I bought with the mysterious fruits inside the candy coating are Hawthorn berries! The street vendor in Flushing, NY sells a variety of different candy coating (and fruits?) for $1-2 each depending on what you choose!. Next time you see street vendor selling sticks of glossy candy, spare a dollar or two and give it a try! It is always fun and interesting to be slightly adventurous, daring and open to savor the different food around you!! There are more interesting read about this traditional Chinese candy here.