Tang hu lu

China's traditional street side treat, tang hu lu (literally "sugar gourd"). It's especially popular in Northerneastern China near the capital but it can be found all over China.

The original tang hu lu is made with red hawthorn fruits dipped again and again into a big kettle of boiling molten sugar. Gradually the repeated dips in the sugar build into a crystalline candy shell encasing the skewered fruit. This treat is thousands of years old.

Although hawthorn fruits are the most iconic and original tang hu lu candy, modern street vendors also encase everything from kiwi fruit, grapes, pineapple, apples, and tomatoes in a glittering coat of candy.