Hi! My name is Evelyn and I am a fourth year studying International Business with a minor in Real Estate and Development at UC San Diego. I was born and raised in San Francisco, California. 

INTRODUCTION

From just a few ingredients, a powerful dessert was made in Northern China, becoming more popular than ever before. Tanghulu was once a dessert with no significant meaning behind it and did not carry much influence. However, due to the fast pace of globalization and connectivity, tanghulu is popular in various countries such as China, South Korea, Japan, the United States, and parts of Europe. Tanghulu has been a popular street vendor and at-home snack within China and has expanded to other countries through social media; the cultural dish consistently shows extreme detail and craftsmanship, significance within China’s culture, and its global influence. From a dessert that originated between 980 and 1279, the dish has made a significant impact on the exposure of Chinese culture as well as influencing other cultures by adapting the technique of Tanghulu. Tanghulu is now a popularized snack that can be seen globally and people from all over the world have taken aspects and ideas from Tanghulu and inserted them into their cultural dishes. Although the rapid exposure of Tanghulu is beneficial to China in many ways, misinformation can easily be spread due to social media and the internet. The massive growth of Tanghulu stores has been impacting South Korea the most as Tanghulu stores have grown exponentially within the past twelve months. Due to the massive growth of Tanghulu stores and vendors in South Korea, there is a common misconception that many people believe that Tanghulu originated in South Korea when it was first introduced in Northern China during the Song Dynasty.

MY FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH TANGHULU

The first time I discovered Tanghulu was when I visited China in 2007. Being only 5 years old, I was addicted to sweet treats. As I toured Northern China, I noticed many street vendors sold sugar-coated fruit skewers. The price of Tanghulu is inexpensive as each skewer is about ¥5-15. That is equivalent to 70 cents to $2. My mom allowed me to purchase one and I chose the traditional tanghulu with sugar-coated hawthorn berries. As I took a bite into it, I tasted different textures of the hard sugar coat with the soft hawthorn berries. The different flavors of the sweetness from the sugar to the sourness from the berries mix as you bite more into it. Since then, every time I visit China I always try to purchase Tanghulu from the local street vendors. Tanghulus since then have elevated from hawthorns to strawberries, kiwis, tangerines, and grapes. 

HISTORY

The history behind history goes back to the Song Dynasty. The first appearance of Tanghulu was around 920 to 1279 in Northern China. The emperor of the Song Dynasty, Emperor Guangzong of Song’s favorite concubine became ill and tried many different types of medicine to cure himself. None of the remedies worked and the doctors suggested eating sugar-coated hawthorn berries. Since 659 A.D. hawthorn berries were used for medical practices for digestive issues, heart problems, and high blood pressure (Healthline). With a miracle, the emperor’s concubine was cured after consuming it and Tanghulu started becoming more popular. The dessert quickly became the Imperial Family’s favorite dish and one of China’s street vendors' staples. Since the Song Dynasty, Tanghulu has been a historical part of Chinese culture and heritage. During Chinese New Year, Tanghulu is one of the main desserts that get served to family members as a way to celebrate the new year. Tanghulu caters to not only the tourists but locals as well. Within the past few years, the exposure of Tanghulu globally has skyrocketed and reached countries across the world. Tanghulu has influenced street vending from other countries in Asia and has recently been seen in major cities within the United States.

EXTREME CRAFTSMANSHIP AND DETAIL

Tanghulu is considered an art in various ways; it requires extreme craftsmanship and detail when trying to curate. The process of making Tanghulu requires few ingredients and steps, however, it requires much patience, practice, and skill to perfect it. A small mistake can be fatal and alter the change and texture of the dessert. The ingredients to make tanghulu include but are not limited to fruit such as hawthorn berries, strawberries, tangerines, grapes, and kiwis, wooden skewers, sugar, and water. The process of making tanghulu is relatively fast and requires few instructions. I took the liberty of trying to make tanghulu this month and tried my best to follow the instructions. The first step is to pat dry the fruit to remove as much moisture as possible. Following that would be cutting the fruit and putting them on wooden skewers. Next, the sugar and water ratio must be 2:1 and need to boil to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. If it is below 300, the sugar will not harden, if it is above 300, the sugar will burn. Once it comes to a boil at 300 degrees, you must boil the sugar onto the fruit skewers and quickly put them in iced water for it to harden. Once it is hardened, it is ready to eat. Since sugar can burn easily, when the sugar mix is above 300 degrees, it can quickly have a thicker consistency, making it harder to pour and coat the fruit evenly. Due to the hot sugar, it is recommended to eat immediately after or the quality may lessen over time. Due to the fruit being perishable, tanghulu is sensitive to moisture and humidity, it can be stored for up to two weeks in the fridge inside an airtight container (Baker 2022). 

NUTRITIONAL VALUE

Although a fruit-based dessert may sound healthy, Tanghulu’s nutritional value is fully composed of 100% carbohydrates and sugar. Roughly the amount of one cup of fruit is equivalent to one skewer of Tanghulu. The nutritional value of one cup is 166 grams of carbohydrates and 164 grams of sugar. This is roughly 645 calories in one tanghulu skewer alone. Overall, Tanghulu is considered a sugary dessert with very little nutritional value to it. In perspective, to burn off 645 calories, you must walk 152 minutes, run for 58 minutes, or bicycle for 89 minutes (Nutritionix). Due to the increase in popularity of Tanghulu within Asia, there has been a correlation to the rise in diabetes. The cases of diabetes within Asia have increased every year; according to the International Diabetes Federation, it is projected that the number of diabetes patients will increase to 560 million cases in Asia by 2045 which is up by 50% since 2021 (Hanada and Inoue 2023). The daily intake of calories in countries in Asia compared to European countries has increased from 2010 to 2018. Asians consume about 2,800 calories to 3,400 calories daily (Hanada and Inoue 2023).

SIGNIFICANCE WITHIN CHINESE CULTURE

The meaning behind tanghulu is more than a quick dessert that Chinese vendors sell on the street. There is a significance behind the dessert that allowed it to be one of the most popular Chinese desserts in the world. Tanghulu has been deeply rooted in China’s heritage as it was first introduced in the Song Dynasty around 920 to 1279. The Song Dynasty was also called the Imperial Dynasty at that time due to its successful emperors ruling during that period. When tanghulu was introduced due to the emperor’s concubine becoming sick, the fruit that was used was hawthorn berries. The dessert has been around China for centuries and has not altered as hawthorn berries are still used often for tanghulu. It was first believed that tanghulu could be used for medical purposes to cure the sick, however, due to its nutritional value it was quickly debunked. The dessert is now used as a snack that street vendors in China sell to locals and tourists all year round. It is more heavily emphasized during the winter season when it is chilly and during Chinese New Year. 

Within Chinese culture, there is significant meaning and symbolism behind everything. Each component of tanghulu has its symbolism attached to it. Tanghulu is consumed by people of all ages frequently during the Chinese New Year and can be considered a symbol of good luck and prosperity (Beijing Times 2023). Due to hawthorn berries being the traditional fruit for tanghulu, red is often associated with it. Within Chinese culture, red symbolizes joy, luck, and auspiciousness (Asian Art 2024). Red can be seen in many places within China as it is one of the main colors used for celebrating the new year. Each round fruit may represent something different, but in unity, all represent reunion, happiness, and health. Due to tanghulu being closely associated with Chinese New Year, there is symbolism associated between the two. 

Around the time of Chinese New Year, the demand for tanghulu is at its peak. Many Chinese order tanghulu in large quantities from street vendors as a way to celebrate the new year with their family and friends. “According to Li Wei, “Every year during Chinese New Year, we have a lot of orders for tanghulu. People like to give them as gifts or serve them as a dessert during the family reunion dinner” (Beijing Times 2023). Li Wei is a successful street vendor specializing in tanghulu during the Chinese New Year as orders get particularly high. Often tanghulu is given to children as a symbol of good luck and happiness. For many street vendors, this is their main source of income and is a way for them to preserve and promote their cultural heritage and traditions. Tanghulu has become villagers in the Northern China Xiongan New Area’s prominent source of income as it continues to gain more popularity as it spreads to different regions and countries. Especially during the Chinese New Year, Xiongan New Area experiences significant economic boosts due to the increase in sales such as tanghulu. The production of tanghulu is now considered a vital part of Xiongan New Area’s local economy. Below, I have attached a picture of a street vendor selling tanghulu during Chinese New Year in Beijing China sometime between 1933 to 1946.

GLOBAL INFLUENCE 

Today, social media has been a prevalent part of everyone’s lives and the use of the internet has skyrocketed since ever before. People are much more connected across the globe and it is now easy to influence others and learn different things through the use of social media. Since January 2024, there have been 5.04 billion people using social media around the world on an everyday basis which is equivalent to 62.3% of the total world population (DataReportal 2024). This is a significant increase from previous years as back in 2015, there were only 2.08 billion users; this is an increase of 138.2% in eight years (Dean 2024). Tanghulu is one of the many examples in which social media helped expedite its popularity to become an international dessert and continues to do so. Tanghulu originated in Northern China during the Song Dynasty and primarily stayed within China until the past few years. Today, it is very common to see tanghulu in other countries such as South Korea, Japan, the United States, and parts of Europe. Within South Korea and Japan, they have adopted similar practices of Tanghulu such as selling it primarily through street vendors at popular tourist destinations to market their products to tourists and locals. With the rise in popularity of tanghulu on social media, there comes a high chance of misinformation spreading online. Unfortunately, there is a common misconception that tanghulu originated from South Korea instead of Northern China. I have fallen victim to it as I was not educated that tanghulu originated from South Korea, but I have seen a lot of internet coverage of people trying it in South Korea. Due to that, I immediately assumed that tanghulu originated from South Korea. After learning more about tanghulu, I spoke with a friend of mine, Erin who was born in South Korea but moved to the United States when she was a baby, about how tanghulu has been popular through social media outlets, especially TikTok. I mentioned to her that the dessert originated in Northern China, which she was surprised. Her whole life, she was under the impression that tanghulu also originated from South Korea and not China. Although she was born in South Korea, she spent most of her life in the United States and was not educated on foods from different cultures and countries. She assumed, like many others, that tanghulu was first introduced in South Korea due to all the social media coverage of tanghulu within South Korea. This coverage consists of tourists and locals trying South Korea’s street vendor’s tanghulu as well as uneducated people on the internet trying it at home and spreading misinformation online that it originates from there. 

Although the popularity of tanghulu has exponentially increased in the past few years, it is possible that other Asian countries adopted it years ago. Due to the geographical proximity of the countries, there is a history of interactions between Korea and China dating back to over two thousand years ago of trade, diplomatic relations, and cultural exchanges of ideas (Mamchii 2023). Throughout the Song Dynasty, interactions between Korea and China strengthened due to becoming allies (Cartwright 2016). This could have possibly led to one of the first interactions regarding tanghulu between Korea and China. “The Korean kingdoms were influenced by Chinese trade goods and culture. Korean writing systems (4th-century a.d.), architecture, political systems, religions, and even musical instruments came from China. Koreans adapted these Chinese things and made them their own” (Hidden Korea). Koreans were often influenced by Chinese culture due to the frequent interactions they had with each other. Not only were ideas exchanged between one another, but there were many Chinese that immigrated to Korea. Tanghulu was first made popular in Korea due to many Chinese immigrants and eventually became locally popular. Within the 2010s, many sold tanghulu in street stalls in Incheon’s Chinatown and Seoul Myeong-dong and Hongdae areas as they were both tourist and local spots (Yeon-soo 2023). 

Some dishes that originated in other countries can sometimes be adapted from different countries due to their physical presentation. Not only did tanghulu satisfy foreigners' taste buds, but it also fits the criteria of certain countries' standards in food. As tanghulu made its way to South Korea, it stayed relevant in the food street vendor industry due to its ability to make it quickly, its aesthetics and presentation, and how it tasted. Before tanghulu was introduced to South Korea, Koreans never added anything additional to their fruit; they always ate it alone before tanghulu was introduced to their country. Tanghulu was not the only dish that Koreans adopted from other Asian countries; it is now common to see milk tea boba and malatang in South Korea (Haiming 2023). When different countries adopt different cultural dishes, sometimes they alter them to fit the culture. It is a common bias amongst many people in the Western Hemisphere to avoid eating insects due to their physical presence and people’s previous stigma towards them. Although insects are rich in nutrients such as protein, many people avoid eating them for their reasons and biases (Looy, Dunkel, and Wood 2014). Alternatives I saw to attract more people to try out insects are to sugarcoat it and transform it into a lollipop. Insect-filled lollipops were created in 1986 in Pismo Beach, California (Ruane 1999). With the mass amount of Chinese immigrants moving to California, it is possible that places within California adopted some aspects of tanghulu and created alternatives such as insect-filled lollipops. This would be a way to combat the negative bias of consuming insects. Californians adopting the idea of sugar-coating foods on skewers with other items to target their audience better is an example of glocalization. Glocalization can be successful when pushing an idea from another culture or country to a different country with appropriate changes to match the other country (Simi and Matusitz 2017). This was done successfully with insect lollipops as it was able to target the western hemisphere by adding another ingredient to make it more appealing and appetizing. 

Within recent years, the popularity of tanghulu has increased exponentially to which it has beaten some countries' most popular native snacks. In South Korea, tanghulu remained relatively popular until the past couple of years as it surpassed the country’s traditional fried rice cakes (Haiming 2023). “Reports show that as of October, the number of representative tanghulu brand stores in Korea has increased more than tenfold within one year. In some stores, as many as 200 skewers are sold per day. Tanghulu is also getting increasingly popular in European countries” (Haiming 2023). The demand has skyrocketed due to the amount of tourism that South Korea has been receiving as well as the positive reviews of tanghulu from Korean street vendors. “According to HankookIlbo, the market for tanghulu surged from 430 million Korean Won (KRW) in April to a staggering 5.4 billion KRW in September, marking a remarkable 1,168 percent surge in just five months. This soaring popularity has led the number of stores of a famous Tanghulu franchise named ‘Wangga Tanghulu’ to increase by more than tenfold from 43 last year to over 400 this year” (Chaewan 2023). Although it is impressive statistics and can have a positive effect on South Korea’s economy, eating more than two skewers of tanghulu could be harmful to someone’s body due to the excessive amount of sugar intake. There is a correlation between the rise in tanghulu stores and the rise in diabetes in countries with tanghulu consumption present. The CEO of Wangga Tanghulu has mentioned that they will try to make more conscious decisions in lowering the sugar content within their tanghulu (Chaewan 2023). 

The demand for tanghulu may have negative effects on one’s health if over consumed, however, it has positively helped the local economies. Due to the increase in tanghulu consumption and stores within South Korea, sugar-related companies' stocks are increasing due to the higher demand for sugar from the tanghulu craze. “Samyang Corporation, known for producing sugar and wheat starch, saw a 14.7 percent increase in its stock price this year. CJ Cheiljedang, a producer of the Beksul sugar, initially faced a downward trajectory earlier this year but has rallied since August, with a 2.4 percent increase in its stock price during this period” (Ji-Eun 2023). Below, I have inserted the stock increase of Samyang Corporation from exactly a year from now.

As of January 2024, Samyang Corprotation stock is at a 3 percent increase and is projected to continue. This correlates with the increased amount of tanghulu stores opening within South Korea as they need the proper ingredients to successfully make it. I have attached a graph showing the increase in the candy market in South Korea between 2019 and 2023. 

CONCLUSION

There is no doubt that tanghulu has been a significant part of Chinese history although with breaking new records in exposure from different areas around the world. Tanghulu will continue to spread its exposure as it has a deep history within Chinese culture and continues to be a main part of Chinese holidays, requires skill and patience to make but is possible for anyone to make it, and will have a lasting effect on the dessert industry within social media with its phenomenal growth. With its notable rise in popularity through social media, people must understand the origins and debunk the misconceptions that continue to spread throughout social media. Many online currently associate tanghulu with South Korea, ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) videos, and TikTok. It leads to controversy among many as tanghulu online is considered as a TikTok snack rather than what it truly is and its origins. “I didn’t know it was an Asian snack, and that part of the treat wasn’t brought up a lot, so for a while, I mostly thought of it as a TikTok snack,” says food creator and ceramist Lucas Lee Ho, who regularly makes traditional Asian dishes on his platform and first saw tanghulu on TikTok in 2021. “There’s definitely an ASMR appeal,” he adds, noting the crunch and crack of tanghulu’s crystallized sugar.” (Cao 2024). Although the exposure is positive, it's important to preserve cultural dishes and to be respectful by educating others on social media about the meaning behind specific dishes as well as their origins.

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