RECIPE: Tanghulu brings a sweet and crunchy snack to campus

It starts with a crack — a shiny candy shell giving way to juicy fruit — and ends with millions of views. Tanghulu, a traditional Chinese street snack, has exploded on TikTok, captivating creators and foodies alike with its glassy finish and ASMR-worthy crunch.

Now, the viral treat is making waves at Metropolitan State University of Denver, thanks to a campus event hosted by the Center for Multicultural Engagement and Inclusion. For Nhi Dang, associate director for Asian Pacific Islander Student Experience and Belonging, it was the perfect way to celebrate culture, community and connection.

“Tanghulu has become a craze on TikTok, but it actually originated in China,” Dang said. “Traditionally, hawthorn berries are used, but we wanted students to pick and choose the fruits they use.”

Dating back over 800 years, tanghulu has found modern fans who use strawberries, grapes, tangerines and other fruits to create the iconic sugar-crusted skewers, especially around Lunar New Year and other cultural celebrations such as Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

On Wednesday, the Center for Multicultural Engagement and Inclusion hosted a tanghulu demonstration, offering MSU Denver students a sweet way to connect with Asian heritage and community. “I’m super-excited for Julia (Rivera) and her husband to be leading this demonstration,” Dang said. “They own the Korean food truck Mukja and have close ties to campus.”

Tanghulu’s beauty lies in its simplicity. Here’s the recipe shared during the campus event, so you can make your own:

Tanghulu Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups white sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup corn syrup
• Fruit (e.g. strawberries or grapes), skewered

Instructions:

1. Wash and dry fruit.
2. Combine sugar, water and corn syrup in a heatproof saucepan on the stovetop* over high heat.
3. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium heat until the mixture reaches 300°F (hard crack stage) on a candy or digital thermometer.
4. Remove from heat and carefully** dip fruit skewers into the syrup, coating evenly.
5. Dunk in ice water for 2-3 minutes or let cool and harden for 5-10 minutes on parchment paper.

*Do not use the microwave to make tanghulu. The high temperature can cause microwave-safe containers to melt, and glass containers can lead to burns.

**Use caution when dipping the fruit into the syrup, which is very hot and can cause burns with prolonged skin exposure.

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