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These are crystalline sugar-coated haws, tanghulu, which is a favorite winter snack for children in northern China. Legends say that 800 years ago an emperor's concubine was sick and had a poor appetite. A doctor ordered that she eat 10 haws boiled with crystal sugar before dinner. The concubine recovered within half-a-month. Later, the prescription was passed on to ordinary people. People put haws on a stick and dipped them in hot sugar syrup. The syrup turned into a solid coating, like crystals on the haws' surface. It is a delicious and wholesome traditional snack commonly seen in stores and on streets. The haws are tart and the crystal sugar is sweet. The special taste often reminds us of our happy childhoods.
