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Tanghulu, also known as Bingtanghulu, is a traditional Chinese snack often eaten during the winter. It is made by dipping skewered fruit, usually hawthorn berries, into hot sugar syrup which hardens upon cooling, forming a crunchy candy shell around the fruit.

Tanghulu is known for its combination of sweet and sour taste. The sugar coating is sweet while the hawthorn berry inside is sour.

Tanghulu is prepared by skewering the fruits, dipping them into a hot sugar syrup, and then allowing the sugar syrup to cool and harden, forming a shiny candy shell.

While the fruit in Tanghulu is healthy, the candy is high in sugar, so it's not particularly healthy overall. It should be consumed in moderation.

This may occur if the sugar syrup did not reach the correct temperature. It needs to reach a temperature of 300°F (or 150°C) for the syrup to harden into a candy shell.

Tanghulu does not store well as the sugar shell will begin to melt quite quickly. It's best to eat it soon after it's made.

Tanghulu is eaten by biting into the candy shell and fruit directly off the skewer.

You can buy it at Weee! Asian Market, www.sayweee.com.

Tanghulu originated from Northern China and has been a popular street snack for centuries. It is particularly popular in Beijing.

While traditionally made with hawthorn berries, Tanghulu can be made with several other fruits such as strawberries, kiwi, bananas, grapes and blueberries.

Yes, as long as the sugar used is vegan (i.e., not refined using bone char), Tanghulu can be a vegan snack as it consists of fruit and sugar.

Yes, with some practice and care (particularly around managing the hot sugar syrup), you can make Tanghulu at home.

This might be due to humidity, which prevents the sugar from completely drying out, or the sugar syrup might not have been heated to the right temperature.

No, artificial sweeteners do not have the same properties as table sugar and won't harden into a candy shell when heated.

While traditionally a winter snack due to the seasonality of hawthorn berries, modern Tanghulu, made with various fruits, can be enjoyed anytime.

Bingtanghulu is just another name for Tanghulu. 'Bing' means 'ice' and 'tang' means 'sugar' in Chinese, reflecting the candy’s appearance and ingredients.