Description
Tanghulu is a traditional Chinese street snack made by dipping fresh fruit into hot sugar syrup that hardens into a glassy, crunchy shell. It's a fun and simple treat with a beautiful glossy finish and a satisfying crackly bite.
Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
10 strawberries (or hawthorn berries, grapes, or cherry tomatoes)
Wooden skewers
Ice water bath
Instructions
- Wash and thoroughly dry the fruit. Remove stems if using strawberries or grapes.
- Thread 2 to 3 pieces of fruit onto each wooden skewer and set aside.
- In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Do not stir.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat and let it boil until it reaches 300°F (150°C), the hard crack stage, about 10–12 minutes.
- Test the syrup by dropping a bit into cold water — it should harden instantly and snap.
- Quickly dip each fruit skewer into the syrup, rotating to coat evenly.
- Immediately place coated skewers into an ice water bath to harden the sugar shell.
- Lay the skewers on parchment paper to fully set before serving.
Notes
Make sure the fruit is completely dry or the syrup won’t stick.
Tanghulu is best eaten fresh — it may become sticky if stored too long.
You can use a variety of fruits like grapes, cherry tomatoes, or citrus segments.
Do not stir the sugar-water mixture while boiling to avoid crystallization.
Adding sesame seeds or food coloring to the syrup can enhance the presentation.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Snack
- Method: Boiled
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 skewer
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 25g
- Sodium: 0mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
