How to Make Tanghulu

Learn how to make Tanghulu with just a handful of everyday ingredients. If you are a fan of candy and fruit this is the perfect combination and it is really fun to make. It is so satisfying to crunch down on a thin coating of sugar glass to get to the fruit and then the blend of sugar and fruit is delightful in the mouth.

What is Tanghulu?

Tanghulu is a popular street food or snack in Northern China and it has become popular in other places around the world as well. It is essentially a candy sugar glass covering the fruit. The traditional fruit used is the Chinese Hawthorn but strawberries, grapes, and other fruits are used commonly.

Ingredients

To make Tanghulu at home you need just a handful of ingredients and tools:

• Sugar – Use normal white granulated sugar.
• Water – I used filtered water because I don’t like my tap water.
• Fruit – Strawberries and grapes are very commonly used but you can have fun trying a variety of different fruit. My favorite is strawberry Tanghulu.

Tools/Equipment:

• Wooden skewers
• Pot
• Ice cold water
• Candy thermometer or instant-read thermometer.

How to make Tanghulu at home

Begin by prepping your fruit. Rinse and dry the fruit really well. I usually use a paper towel to dry them. If you like, cut the stems off the strawberries or just leave them on. Then stick the fruit onto the skewers. 3 to 5 grapes is good for one skewer and 1 to 4 strawberries depending on the size.

You can also try a variety of other fruits like blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, mandarin oranges, apple slices, peach slices, etc.

Now create the sugar glass or candy coating. Add the sugar and the water to a medium to large pot and place it on the burner. Set the heat to medium-high and let the mixture heat up undisturbed until it bubbles and reaches 300F/150C which is the hard-crack stage.

Remove the hot pot of melted sugar from the heat. It is very important that you do NOT TOUCH the hot sugar it will definitely burn you and be extremely unpleasant. If you are a young person trying this, make sure you have adult supervision.

Now dip a skewer of fruit in the hot sugar glass. It helps if you tilt the pot to make it deeper. Once dipped place it immediately in a bowl of ice water.

Keep the Tanghulu in the ice water for a few seconds, then remove it and place it in a tall glass to dry.

Now allow the finished Tanghulu to dry for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy crunching down on that sugar glass-covered fruit!

How long does Tanghulu last?

These tasty treats should be consumed a few minutes after eating them. The fruit eventually sucks moisture from the fruit and melts parts of the candy glass coating. You can try keeping them in the fridge, or even try freezing them. If you are able to keep the candy coating intact they will last a week or 2, but realistically homemade Tanghulu lasts a day or 2.

What do I do with the leftover hot sugar?

If you have leftover sugar, you can pour it onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Allow it to cool and harden for an hour or two, then break it up into pieces. It can be eaten as candy. Or used as decoration on baked goods like cakes and cupcakes. You can also add a bit of hot water to it and dilute it so it is a syrup and use it in drinks.

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5 from 1 vote

Easy Tanghulu Recipe

Learn how to make Tanghulu at home!

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

0 minutes mins

Total Time35 minutes mins

Course: Candy, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: candied, easy, fun, sweet

Servings: 10 people

Author: Matt Taylor

Equipment

• Wooden skewers
• pot
• Ice cold water
• Candy Thermometer

Ingredients

• 4 cups of sugar 800g
• 2 cups of water 480g
• Fruit – Strawberries Grapes, Kiwi, Peaches, Apples, etc.

Instructions

• Rinse the fruit and dry them.
• Cut off the stems of the strawberries if desired.
• Add the fruit to bamboo skewers 2 to 4 fruits per skewer.
• Add the sugar and water to a deep medium or large pot.
• Heat on medium-high until it bubbles and the temp gets to 300F/150C which is the hard crack stage. Do not stir it.
• Remove the pot of hot sugar from the burner. Tilt it so it is deeper and easier to dip. Dip a skewer of fruit in the hot sugar until fully coated. Allow the excess to drain back into the pot. Then immediately dip it in a bowl of ice water. Keep it in the ice water for a few seconds.
• Place the finished Tanghulu in a tall glass to dry. Then serve. Enjoy!

Video

How to Make Tanghulu

Notes

NOTE: You can prep the fruit after you start the sugar solution. The sugar takes around 20 to 30 minutes to get to the proper temperature. 

TIP: Try a variety of fruits and see what you like the best. 

NOTE: You will probably have sugar solution left over. You can pour it out onto a sheet pan lined with a silicon mat and let it harden. Then break it up into small chunks. The chunks make a great flavored hard candy. You can also add a little more water to it and make a simple syrup that can be used in drinks. 

Do you like this easy Tanghulu recipe? Please give it a rating and comment down below, I really appreciate it. Save the Pin to Pinterest! If you make it tag me on Instagram @inthekitchenwithmatt. Also, sign up for the newsletter so you won’t miss out on any of my new posts and recipes.