Tanghulu in Chinatown
Ever wonder what it'd be like to have memory loss? To wake up one day and the world looks brand new, almost like you're a tourist in your own town. Of course there would be downsides to that as well, since you might forget your peoples. Just think about how fun it would be to see New York again. The first ever glance at the Empire State Building or first trip to Statue of Liberty? It would be mind boggling. It would probably change how you see everyday life as well. I've passed by street vendors in Chinatown in NY many times, and sometimes I just don't even look closely to see what is on sale. The other day when Steph and I were on East Broadway, she noticed a man sitting underneath a beach umbrella. That man was selling candy. A very very specific kind of candy called Tanghulu. This candy wasn't a part of my childhood the way dragon beard candy was, but I was ready to give it a shot, sorta.
After Steph convinced me to get some Tanghulu, I asked the candy man which ones were more popular. He explained that he sold three varieties - two sour and one sweet. We picked a sour one, and it was just $1. Gotta love Chinatown prices, right? The candy itself is like a lollipop with four round balls. The round balls are then coated with some sort of cooked sugar that's hardened, and then coated with granulated sugar. Before we ate the first one, I had no idea what the hell the balls were...
That's what you do as food bloggers though, you try some new things every now and then. This isn't trying to save the world or anything like that. So what did this thing taste like? The red and sugary coating on the outside crackled to the bite, and it revealed a sour fruit center. The fruit was crunchy and it felt like Bugs eating a carrot with a funny texture. It definitely was a fruit because in the center there was a pit, so definitely be careful when you eat this candy.
When Steph and I came home we looked up the name of the fruit and it's a fruit from Crataegus pinnatifida otherwise known as Chinese hawthorn tree. The hawthorn fruit that comes from the hawthorn tree is nothing like a fruit. It shared a texture similar to al dente vegetables that's crunchy. You wouldn't think this would be super popular with kids but while we stood on the corner, many families stopped by with kids.
Maybe this Chinese candy is more familiar for some other folks who grew up with this stuff, but I never really ate it as a child. In fact when I asked my dad about the hawthorn fruit, he told me that he's only seen it used for Chinese medicine. The wikipedia page did mention the candy is more common in Northern China, so perhaps that's why it wasn't a big deal in Taiwan. Either way, if find yourself on East Broadway, walk to Market street to see if the Tanghulu guy is there.
Tanghulu candy man
E, Broadway and Market St.
New York, NY 10002
(I invite you to follow me on Twitter so you can get more of my non-sense in another medium.)
I've never seen them coated with granulated sugar before... but yeah man, I love those things. Mostly because they taste good. Partially because they're proof that Asians invented lollipops too.
Nicholas
March 28, 2011 3:20 pm
@Nicholas,
word. From paper to lollipops. We got 'em covered!
Danny
March 28, 2011 3:23 pm
Maybe you can help me with something. Over the weekend, I went to the dim sum place I've been going to my whole life (I don't know the name, but the huge place on Elizabeth Street) and I saw this dish on the carts that I've never seen before. It looked like this candy, as there were a bunch of round things on a stick, but it was definitely savory. The group at our table had some when we sat down, and all I heard them say to their English-speaking friend was that one was more spicy than the other. They were dark green. Then, when we left, I saw them being sold in a food truck along Canal Street. Do you know what these are? I can't stop wondering about them!
Celeste
March 28, 2011 3:51 pm
@Celeste,
Unfortunately I have no idea what that is... haha, I'm sorry. Maybe the huge dim sum place you speak of is Jing Fong. Is it like a gigantic banquet hall with neon lights in the ceiling? The green thing you talk about is foreign to me, but I gotta keep an eye out for it next time. Dim sum lollipops sound intriguing for sure.
Danny
March 28, 2011 4:30 pm
In Taiwan, the coating fruit could be a kind of plum. The picture of the Tanghulu that you got was not the same as we had in Taiwan.
dad
March 28, 2011 7:55 pm
I see this in Flushing sometimes too, and yes, it's a kind of plum. Sugar-coated sourness.
kim
March 28, 2011 8:58 pm
Did your dad really just comment on this post? Dedication. My parents don't bother reading, they just look at the pictures.
Nicholas
March 29, 2011 7:47 am
The haws I had in Beijing had loads of seeds inside and they were as crunchy as apples. But not sour. Love the look of the granulated sugar though!
Su-Lin
March 29, 2011 8:46 am
@dad,
I don't even remember eating this in Taiwan. we didn't eat a lot of this?
@kim,
mmm... sugar coated sourness. That's a good way of putting it!
@Nicholas,
haha, yea he did. I did phone him about it though so it was like I prompted him to look at it. I had troubles figuring what the hell this was.
@Su-Lin,
Oh wow, they had more than one seed inside of each fruit? That's crazy, that makes it really hard to eat then!
Danny
March 29, 2011 2:10 pm
Props to your dad for commenting and not writing in all caps like my dad would do.
@Celeste - I have a feeling the savory balls you saw at dim sum were fish balls on a stick. They have a lot of carts that sell them too.
bionicgrrrl
March 29, 2011 2:45 pm
I remember eating tanghulu when we were little but the fruit is usually some sort of tiny plum or cherry tomatoes. But we didn't really eat them often.
Ang
March 30, 2011 12:11 am
@bionicgrrrl,
haha, oh man. All caps woulda been classic. And now that you mention it, fish balls sound about right for round things on a stick.
@Ang,
You remember way more than me about when we were little. I only remember the pigs blood cake on a stick. mmmm...
Danny
March 30, 2011 10:10 am
That is definitely not hawthorn you're eating. Also, tanghulu's, made correctly, should have the core taken out and resealed with red bean paste or something else ...
October 1, 2011 8:17 pm