Craving Tanghulu, that iconic Chinese candied street food? This fun recipe allows you to recreate this sweet treat at home!
With just three simple ingredients - white sugar, water, and your chosen fruit - you'll craft a mouthwateringly delicious tanghulu that captures the authentic flavors of the popular street food vendors.
What is Tanghulu?
Tanghulu is a popular Chinese candied fruit skewer street food that originated in northern China. It consists of fresh fruit that has been threaded onto a bamboo skewer and then coated with a sugar syrup glaze that hardens quickly.
It's made by dipping whole fruits or fruit chunks like strawberries, hawthorn fruit, grapes, blueberries, cherries, kiwi into a hot sugar-based syrup until a crunchy candy coating forms around the fruit.
The crunchy candy shell encases the fresh fruit, providing a contrasting texture of crisp exterior and juicy interior and an oh-so-satisfying crunchy bite.
Recipe Card?
To find the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions CLICK HERE to go to the recipe card.
Equipment and Ingredients Needed To Make Strawberry Tanghulu
My favorite Sugar Thermometer
DOT alarm thermometer
Don't cook sugar without it!
Additionally:
- Have a candy thermometer ready to monitor the syrup temperature
- Work on a cool, dry day if possible as humidity can affect the candy
- Have parchment paper or a silicone mat ready to let the strawberries dry.
How to make Tanghulu
- Prepare the Strawberries: Gently rinse the strawberries under cool water, being careful not to detach the stems. Pat them dry thoroughly with paper towels or a clean cloth. Thread 2-3 strawberries onto each wooden skewer, spacing them evenly along the length of the skewer.
- Cook the Sugar Syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the white granulated sugar and water. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a heat-resistant utensil. Continue cooking until the syrup reaches 300 degrees F (149°C) on a candy thermometer, which indicates the hard crack stage.
- Prepare an Ice Water Bath: Fill a large bowl with ice water. This ice bath will be used to quickly cool and set the candied coating on the strawberries and to shock the bottom of the sugar pan.
- Shock the Syrup: Once the desired temperature is reached, remove the pan from the heat and quickly submerge the bottom of the pan in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process and carry over cooking. After the initial dunk, place the pan on a heat proof surface.
- Coat the Strawberries: Working with one skewer at a time, dip the strawberries into the hot syrup, rotating the skewer to ensure each strawberry is thoroughly and evenly covered. Allow any excess syrup to drip back into the saucepan.
- Cool and Set: Immediately after coating, submerge the sugar-coated strawberries into the ice water bath. This rapid cooling will cause the syrup to harden into a crisp, crunchy shell. Leave the strawberries in the ice bath for a few seconds, then remove them and place them on a parchment-lined surface or wire rack.
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How to make tanghulu without a candy thermometer
Making tanghulu (candied strawberries) without a candy thermometer is possible, but it requires carefully watching for the specific sugar syrup stages. When you make this recipe the key is watching closely as the syrup changes textures and colors to determine when it has reached the hard crack candy stage for proper tanghulu coating. Go slowly and have an ice bath ready.
- Prep the strawberries - Wash, dry and skewer the strawberries leaving the stems intact.
- Make the sugar syrup - In a heavy bottomed saucepan, add the sugar and water. Heat on medium, stirring the sugar mixture frequently, until it comes to a boil.
- Watch for syrup stages:
- Once boiling, stop stirring and allow it to continue cooking.
- First it will look frothy and bubbles will appear across the whole surface (thread stage).
- Then larger bubbles will start forming slowly (soft ball stage).
- Keep cooking until it reaches a rapid boil and the bubbles become thicker and stickier (hard ball stage).
- Finally, the syrup will turn a pale golden color and have thick, tight bubbles (hard crack stage). This is when you want to remove it from heat.
- Cool syrup briefly - Let the hot syrup sit for 1-2 minutes to stop bubbling rapidly.
- Dip strawberries - Working quickly, dip and turn each skewered strawberry in the hot syrup to coat it evenly. Let excess drip off.
- Use ice bath - Immediately dunk the coated strawberries into the ice water bath to set the hard candy shell. Remove after 5-10 seconds.
- Allow to fully dry/harden on a parchment lined tray or baking sheet before eating.
Why is my tanghulu not hardening?
If your syrup temperature, sugar ratio, and dipping technique are right, that should allow that crunchy candy coating to properly form and harden. Go through this checklist to make sure you have all the parts correct to make sure your tanghulu will harden as you want it to.
- Sugar percentage - If there is not enough sugar in the syrup, it won't harden correctly. The syrup needs a high enough sugar concentration.
- Temperature - The syrup needs to be cooked to the correct high temperature (around 300°F/150°C) to allow the sugar to re-crystallize into a hard, brittle shell. If the temperature is too low, the syrup stays gooey and won't set up. Use a candy thermometer to ensure you reach the proper hard crack stage.
- Humidity - High humidity can cause the hardened sugar coating to absorb moisture from the air and become sticky or soft. Make tanghulu on a dry, low-humidity day if possible.
- Dipping technique - Dipping the fruit quickly in and out of the hot syrup repeatedly builds up a thicker, crunchier shell. If you leave the fruit soaking too long, you may get a thinner, softer coating.
Ingredients
- 12 Strawberries Stems intact
- 1 Cup Sugar
- ½ Cup Water
- Ice
Instructions
- Wash and dry the strawberries, leaving the stems intact. Skewer 2-3 strawberries on each wooden skewer.12 Strawberries
- In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 300°F on a candy thermometer (hard crack stage).1 Cup Sugar, ½ Cup Water
- Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
- Prepare a bowl filled with ice water.Ice
- Dip each skewered strawberry into the hot sugar mixture, coating it thoroughly. Allow any excess sugar to drip off.
- Immediately dip the coated strawberries into the ice water bath to cool and harden the sugar coating. Remove and pat dry.
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