Tangerine Tanghulu

tangerinetanghulu Tanghulu or bing tang hu lu is a Chinese street snack. It's traditionally made with hawthorn berries (a tart and mildly sweet fruit) on bamboo skewers that are coated in a shell of hardened sugar syrup. Many fruit variations exist now as eye-catching street food such as strawberries, grapes, and mixed fruits. Tang or bing tang translates to "sugar" or "rock sugar" while hu lu refers to the shape of the fruit on the skewer which resembles the appearance of a bottle gourd, a type of melon common in Asia.

2-3 tangerines or mandarin oranges, peeled and sectioned
granulated sugar (300 g)
water (150 g)

Add 3 tangerine slices to the end of each skewer and set aside.

In a small pot, stir together the sugar and water on low heat until the sugar has dissolved.

Turn it up to medium heat and boil the syrup until it reaches 300°F (150°C), about 8-10 minutes. The bubbles will noticeably become larger and slower as the mixture thickens. If you don't have a candy thermometer, you can dip a chopstick into the syrup and immediately into cold water. Bite the chopstick and if it crunches, it's ready.

Tilt the pot so that the sugar pools in a corner and quickly swirl a tangerine skewer in the syrup to coat.

Place the skewers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let cool for 5-10 minutes until the sugar has hardened. Enjoy right away.

Makes 6 skewers.

Cook’s Notes:

I highly recommend using a candy thermometer to make sure the syrup is at the correct candy stage. If you try to use it before it reaches the correct temperature, it will not harden properly.
Once it reaches the correct temperature, you'll want to work quickly with the skewers. The sugar may crystallize once too much of the water has evaporated and it will be impossible to work with.