Tanghulu (otherwise known as candied strawberries) is a popular street food in Asia. It is very easy to make and requires only 3 ingredients – sugar, water and fruit!
Tanghulu originated in China, but you can find these tasty treats in almost any major city in Asia. I often see several tanghulu carts pop up on Hongdae street (a lively hangout spot in Seoul) when the weather is good.
Ingredients
There are only three ingredients needed for this recipe:
Sugar
Water
Strawberries
Sugar
I used granulated white sugar for this recipe, but I’ve also had success with organic cane sugar. Organic cane sugar works really well because it is more difficult to burn since the sugar is closer to its natural state. In addition, I’ve had success with brown sugar. All of the steps are the same, but the tanghulu will have a molasses flavor.
Prepare all of the ingredients in advance! You will only have about 2 minutes max to dip the strawberries until the sugar hardens.
Dry your strawberries very well. The hard sugar coating will not adhere to fruits with moisture.
Start the heat at a low temperature when adding the sugar and water to the pot. Gently mix until about half of the sugar has dissolved, then stop mixing and increase the heat. If you continue mixing past this stage, the sugar will crystallize and you will need to start over.
Use long wooden skewers to dip the strawberries in the hot sugar mixture. This will keep your fingers safe and ensure an even sugar coating. Spooning the mixture over the strawberries will create a mess and leave you with an uneven coating.
Be careful! The hot sugar mixture is VERY hot. You need to be very careful when dipping the strawberries. Make sure to use long sticks, or use heatproof gloves for extra protection.
Common Questions
Do I need a candy thermometer to make tanghulu?
Absolutely not! A candy thermometer is not needed to make tanghulu. I’ve made this several times and have never used a thermometer. Just keep an eye on it the entire time and you’ll be successful.
Tanghulu is best eaten immediately. The strawberry will begin to release juices in the fridge, which will dissolve the hard sugar coating. It can be done, but it’s not recommended!
How long does tanghulu take to make?
The time it takes to cook tanghulu all depends on the temperature you use. Always remember that stoves differ and my low heat may be your stove’s medium heat. I’ve actually used very high heat and medium heat to make tanghulu and both worked. I don’t recommend using a temperature that’s too high, though.
When will the sugar coating harden?
If done correctly, the sugar coating will harden almost immediately! If it doesn’t then you likely did something wrong (you probably did not dry your fruit well). No worries, just try again!
How do I know when the sugar mixture is ready?
The sugar mixture will turn a light golden brown when it’s ready. I recommend watching it closely because sugar is very easy to burn. Also, keep ice water and a wooden chopstick ready to continuously test it. Once you’ve done this a few times, you’ll be a pro and will instinctively know when it’s ready to be dipped.
Tanghulu Fruit Variations
Tanghulu is traditionally made with hawthorne berries, but any fruit with a dry exterior will work! For example, I’ve tried mandarins, grapes, blueberries and even cherry tomatoes! Fruits like pineapples and watermelon will not work – I’ve seen people do this, but they dip it in ice water after and the coating is not very crunchy.
The ice water and chopstick trick is essential to your success. Make sure to use a wooden chopstick, or any sort of wooden utensil. I like to fill a glass completely with ice, then fill with water so it’s extra cold.
Steps:
Dip a chopstick in the hot sugar mixture
Then dip it in the ice cold water
Finally, chew it! If it crunches in your mouth, it’s ready. Alternatively, if the sugar mixture gets stuck in your teeth and is hard to chew, it needs more time on the stove.
parchment paper or oil for lightly greasing the plate
Instructions
Dry the strawberries very well in order for the sugar coating to stick. Then, skewer each strawberry with one per stick.
Prepare parchment paper to cool the strawberries later, or very lightly oil a plate so the hot sugar doesn’t stick.
Add the sugar and water to a pot and gently simmer until the sugar is about halfway dissolved. Then, stop mixing.
Increase the heat to between medium and medium high and continue to cook the sugar. The sugar mixture should be bubbling.
Now for the chopstick test, grab a glass of ice water and a wooden chopstick or any other wooden utensil. Start checking the mixture at around 5 minutes by dipping the chopstick in the pot, then immediately into the ice water. Bite the chopstick – it should crunch in your mouth. If it’s still soft and sticks to your teeth, keep cooking!
Watch the sugar mixture carefully because it’s easy to burn. The time it takes will depend on the heat you’re using. The mixture will turn a light golden brown when ready. It’s taken me between 12 minutes to 22 minutes, which varied because of the heat I used. Don’t use max heat to cook because you risk burning it.
Dry the strawberries with a paper towel once again to ensure the exterior has no moisture. When the mixture is ready, take it off the heat and quickly dip your fruit for no more than a few seconds, then twist the stick and let the excess drip off. You’ll only have about 2-3 minutes before the sugar mixture hardens, so work quickly!
Place the tanghulu on parchment paper or the oiled plate you prepared earlier. It should harden almost immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
Please be careful because the mixture is VERY HOT. You can wear gloves, or use very long sticks to protect yourself.
Smaller strawberries work best for tanghulu because it’s easier to eat.
Consistency in Temperature: Consistent heat is key. If the temperature fluctuates, the syrup may not reach the necessary state for hardening. Quick Dipping: Work swiftly when dipping the fruit into the hot syrup to ensure an even coating before the temperature of the syrup drops.
If you candied strawberries are not hardening, there could be a number of reasons. You didn't cook your syrup to the correct temperature. You must hit 305F. The candy shell is too thick and taking longer to harden.
Normal cane sugar works fine, but I chose to use raw sugar since it was my first attempt at making tanghulu and raw sugar is harder to burn. Combine the water and sugar into a saucepan on low heat and stir until the sugar is mostly dissolved, but you are still able to see some granules in the water.
Once the sugar is amber in color or about 300°F, test the syrup to make sure it is hot enough before dipping the fruit skewers. You can't have tanghulu without a hard crunchy candy coating so it is important to test the syrup. To do this, simply drizzle a spoonful of the syrup into an ice water bath.
Not to worry, you can keep tanghulu in the refrigerator and preserve its yummy candy shell. Store it in an airtight container with parchment paper lined on a single layer and not stacked since you want to avoid losing the hardened sugar coating. You can keep it in the fridge for up to three days.
The sugar will crystallize if you stir it while you cook it. Make sure you don't stir the sugar after it comes to a simmer. If it does crystallize, add another half cup of water and start the process again. If making chocolate tanghulu, once the cocoa powder is added, it will begin to crystallize.
Place the strawberries in the bowl, being careful not to squish them or mash them at all. Then, cover the strawberries with ice. Pour cool water over the top so the ice is floating and set a timer for 20 minutes.
Keep heating and stirring your candy until it reaches 300°F (148.89°C). This is very important. If you don't get your mixture hot enough, it won't harden properly. Your candy will be soft and sticky, no matter how long you let it sit, harden, or cool.
Storing. It's best to eat tanghulu immediately for a perfectly crunchy texture. However, if you have leftovers, keep them in an airtight container for up to 3 hours in the fridge. You can store them for up to a few weeks, but the sugar syrup will start becoming sticky and lose its crunch.
Finally, chew it! If it crunches in your mouth, it's ready. Alternatively, if the sugar mixture gets stuck in your teeth and is hard to chew, it needs more time on the stove.
In hard candy making, it is important to cook all the water out of the sugar/corn syrup/water mixture. If the sugar mixture is not cooked to the proper temperature (the hard-crack stage 300-310° F {149-154° C.} or if you are working in a kitchen with high humidity, chances are your candy is retaining too much moisture.
Turn the burner on to low heat to ensure your sugar won't burn or turn to caramel syrup. Using a wooden spoon, continuously stir the sugar in the pot, breaking up any clumps and making sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan until the sugar melts.
Do not allow fruit to become frozen. During warm weather, the fruit should be placed in controlled cold storage at a temperature of 50-60 degrees F and relative humidity of about 60%. “Use by date” is located on the outside edge of the lid – under the tamper evident tape.
Strawberries and Grapes: These fruits have a higher water content, which can cause the sugar coating to break down faster. They typically make tanghulu last for about 1 day. Apples and Pears: These firmer fruits hold up better and can keep your tanghulu enjoyable for up to 2-3 days.
Tanghulu is rich in Vitamin C, pectin and chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, maslinic acid, oleanolic acid, quercetin, ursolic acid, chrysin, epicatechin and other organic acids and nutritional elements. The Chinese Hawthorn may have medicinal effects, such as reducing the effects of constipation and dysentery and ...
Carefully tilt pan so sugar mixture pools to one side. Working quickly, place fruit end of one skewer in sugar mixture, rotating to fully coat; allow excess syrup to drip back into pan. Place dipped skewer, fruit side down, in ice bath, allowing to cool fully, about 1 minute.
Tanghulu literally translates to “sugar gourds” in Mandarin, the bubbled shapes resembling the calabash gourds that were symbols of good luck in ancient China.
Just take a chopstick and dip it in the bubbling sugar then immediately transfer it into a cup full of ice water. Let it cool down for a few seconds and then take a bite. If it's hard and crunchy, it's ready to coat the fruits. If not, let the syrup continue boiling a bit longer to raise the temperature further.
Dried fruit with added sugar are also referred to as “candied” fruit. Added sugar has repeatedly been shown to have harmful effects on health, increasing the risk of obesity, heart disease and even cancer ( 28 , 29 ).
In hard candy making, it is important to cook all the water out of the sugar/corn syrup/water mixture. If the sugar mixture is not cooked to the proper temperature (the hard-crack stage 300-310° F {149-154° C.} or if you are working in a kitchen with high humidity, chances are your candy is retaining too much moisture.
Introduction: My name is Twana Towne Ret, I am a famous, talented, joyous, perfect, powerful, inquisitive, lovely person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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