Long tzi tang
Witness these two magicians. The brand of magic they're involved in has to do with sugar. Sugar that gets prodded and pulled until it's soft like cotton and looks like the fine beard of a dragon. I know this because there's a dragon in my closet, and he looks exactly like the candy these two magicians make. Arguably the best part about this candy is that I don't know how they make it, so it really is like magic to me. I'm not sure how you're supposed to do it... but I've got some pictures to show you what it's all about.
So the two person operation starts with the guy pulling some sugar. It's pliable and he pulls it until it gets super fine, almost hair-like. He does this (I think) in a container of powdered sugar. Just wait until you see what it looks like after he's done pulling it...
He breaks 'em off into little pieces like that. Little clumps of delicious hairy sugar. Mmmm... hairy sugar. He lays these out on a tray for his partner who gathers them up...
And spoons in some peanuts and coconuts inside, and then wraps it up into a ball.
Voila! Candy. It's $3 per box, and six pieces inside of a box. These are great because it's super duper fresh. Apparently you can buy boxes of this kind of candy in China/Taiwan. I remember eating them as a kid and was super excited when I walked right by these folks on Canal St. Yesterday they were between Mott and Mulberry on the south side of Canal. The lady there told me they're new and they're trying to stay at that spot. I'm hoping they stay.
The texture of the candy when you touch it is pillowy soft. It's not as feathery light when you bite down on it in your mouth because the sugar congeals a little as you chew. That's to be expected, when airy sugar meets the saliva and heat of your mouth. Then as you chew through it you get the sweetness of the candy with the peanuts and the coconuts. The proprietor said there was coconuts but really the peanut flavor came through stronger. In Asia there are other flavors besides peanuts but here in NY, I'll take whatever I can get.
If you can find this cart, definitely give it a shot. I don't know if they can stay at their spot but it'll be awesome if they do. You don't see this kind of sweets that much in the states, and I hope it sticks. Now the translated name for this candy is called "Dragon Beard Candy" And my shitty pingying translates this to "Lóng tzi tang" Just like with chou dofu, I really wish the Mandarin name is the one that's passed on to the masses. We don't have to translate Asian food names if we don't translate Italian food names.
To help you with the pronunciation, let's break down the words. So 'dragon' or lóng has a very similar sound to the 'lone' in 'alone' or 'lonely'. And the word for 'beard' is something like 'tzi' although my pingying is terrible. What it sounds like is the word 'zenith,' except you're compounding the first sound in that word with the last sound. Kind of like 'z-th'. And the word for candy is 'tang' or 'tung' and what it sounds like is if you take the 't' sound at the beginning of the word 'tit' and add it with the first sound in the word 'onion'. Put it all together, "lone z-th t-on" Anyway, that was your shitty language lesson, now go buy a damn Mandarin DVD and stop calling it Dragon Beard Candy.
@Spencer,
Thanks for the more detailed lesson :) Yea I know sugar can take on different forms and have different levels of pliability. I just didn't know that there's some corn syrup involved. We Chinese people do like pulled things. haha. And this is very reminiscent of the pulled noodles, except it's sweet and awesome.
Danny
September 22, 2010 3:52 pm
I bet there are tons of different mixtures, but its basically sugar and corn syrup heated to just before soft ball firmness then left to cool. They then put the lump in flour (my mom says usually rice flower) and do the traditional folding and doubling thing that we Chinese ppl like to do (see la mien pulled noodles sry for the horrible Pinyin also the reason i know my powers of 2 very well). then u quickly wrap in some peanuts and junk.
Ive done the noodle folding, but never tried the sugar. My grandma use to make this for me when we would visit, I would go on a crazy sugar rush after drinking yang le dou (Yakult), and eating these.
There are different qualities of it too when on the street(like drugs)
Like some street vendors in china used corn start instead of flour. Not cool cutting the flavor with corn starch,
Some vendors use toasted rice flower, give its a lil something extra and in Taiwan i saw a vendor mix matcha, and even crushed sesame seeds/powder with the rice flower!
yums and doesn't keep very well so best to devour it all on the spot
Spencer C
September 22, 2010 3:26 pm
@Mai,
Definitely, Asian food names should just take a stand for itself because this country only seems to embrace European and and South American names for foods. I could care less if people can't pronounce it, it's because they're not trying hard enough.
@Christine,
Ah, cool! Glad to know this is in Montreal. I have to go back and check if these guys are still on Mott. I know they were not sure if they could keep their spot..
@James,
I hope they're still there when you go. Street carts need to be able to find secure spots in this city... man I hope one day they change that.
Danny
September 13, 2010 10:21 am
Daaaaaayamn. I gotta check this out. Many thanks for the lesson, dude!
James
September 12, 2010 4:52 pm
I'm so glad this lost art is back on the streets of NYC!
Ive been traveling all the way up to Montreal's Chinatown to get a hold of these special treats. A 15 minute walk is definitely more favorable.
The stand in Montreal has been a long standing institution. Check it out! http://yourfoodparty.com/2010/09/08/i-want-candy/
Christine
September 12, 2010 3:21 pm
@Nicholas,
See now I'm wondering what they're supposed to taste like and what the ones in the boxes are like. Because the boxed ones are ridiculously expensive like you said.
@Lamchop,
ah, that's too bad that it wasn't authentic. I liked it though and offered it to my girlfriend who had never tried it before. She liked it. So I can't really speak to the authenticity of the product since I don't know.
Danny
August 31, 2010 9:43 am
Thumbs up for saying "We don't have to translate Asian food names if we don't translate Italian food names."
Mai
September 1, 2010 12:43 pm
@hungry,
I know, that's my response when I first saw it too. 'Woah'
@Nicholas,
haha, yea I shouldn't give out lessons, seeing that I can't read. Yes, the second character is more like 'whisker'. Shows you how little I know. haha. Yea I also bet the fresh versions are slightly better than ones in a box in a store. I didn't even know you could get these from a store...
Danny
August 30, 2010 1:38 pm
LOL, nah I wouldn't know that character either if I didn't just read about this somewhere (it's freakin' hard to write!). Too many strokes haha.
I'm sure the fresh ones are better... the ones in a box must've been sitting there for a week or so. I bet they were all hardened and whatnot.
Nicholas
August 30, 2010 1:56 pm
OMG they're back! The last time I've seen these vendors was I'd say 5-8 years ago! They make the best lung soe tawng.
I've actually purchased the ones in the boxes before ... I was hoping they'd have a hint of the authenticity but it was wayyyy off. I paid about 3 bucks for the box, tasted half and threw the rest out. It was horrible.
Lamchop
August 31, 2010 12:02 am
Woah, I remember eating these as a kid. Didn't know they were still around. Oooh! Nostalgia!
hungry
August 30, 2010 12:16 pm
Hahahaha... in which we have Danny teaches a lesson in Pinyin :) but I always thought it was 龍鬚糖, where the second character was xu1, like 'whisker?'
I remember being outraged when I found these in an Asian food store in Philly selling for close to $20 for 3. Glad to see NYC has a cheaper version available now.
Nicholas
August 30, 2010 12:37 pm
My favourite Chinese New Year food (though you sometimes find it all year round) is the Dragon Beard Candy, an ancient Chinese Emperor’s Dessert. It’s made into very sweet thin strands and sometimes filled with peanuts.
If you’ve never tried it, you simply have to! The only place I know to find this online is http://www.geocities.jp/family_hong_kong/English/Dragon_Bread_Candy_index.htm .
Jane
February 15, 2011 2:37 am