Description
To truly appreciate this sweet treat, we must first look at what makes it so incredibly special. At its absolute core, this dish consists of fresh pieces of fruit that are threaded onto wooden sticks and dipped into a highly concentrated, intensely heated sugar syrup. As the syrup cools, it instantly solidifies into a transparent, rock-hard glaze. The magic relies entirely on reaching the precise physical state of the sugar mixture, ensuring that when you take a bite, the shell cracks like delicate glass rather than chewing like soft taffy or sticking to your teeth.
Ingredients
- 16–20 fresh strawberries, washed and completely dry
- 6–8 bamboo skewers
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240 ml) water
- Ice water (for testing the syrup)
Instructions
- Prepare the strawberries
- Wash the strawberries.
- Dry them thoroughly with paper towels. Any moisture can prevent the sugar from sticking.
- Thread 2–3 strawberries onto each skewer.
- Make the sugar syrup
- Add the sugar and water to a saucepan.
- Heat over medium heat without stirring. Swirl the pan gently if needed.
- Cook until the syrup reaches 300°F (150°C) (hard-crack stage), or test by dropping a little syrup into ice water—it should harden immediately and snap cleanly.
- Coat the strawberries
- Tilt the pan and quickly roll each skewer in the syrup until evenly coated.
- Let excess syrup drip off.
- Set the candy
- Place the coated skewers on a parchment-lined tray or lightly oiled surface.
- The coating should harden within 1–2 minutes.
Notes
Tanghulu is best enjoyed immediately, ideally within 1–2 hours. Refrigeration can make the sugar coating sticky due to moisture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Candying
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 skewer
- Calories: 130 kcal
Keywords: Chinese candied strawberries, rock candy fruit skewers, glassy sugar coated strawberries, crunchy strawberry tanghulu candy.