When the winter approaches, tanghulu, a traditional Chinese snack can be found on the street corner in northern China. Since the ancient times, it (be) very popular with natives, especially children.
Tanghulu is (common) made of haws (山楂), which are rich in vitamin C and are known (have) traditional Chinese medicine properties. According to a legend, 800 years ago, one of the emperor's (wife) was sick and had poor appetite. The doctor suggested that she eat 10 haws (boil) with sugar before dinner. She recovered within two weeks. Later, the prescription was passed on ordinary people. People put haws on a stick, dipped them in hot sugar syrup (糖浆) and dried. The syrup finally turned into a solid coating, like crystal on the surface of haws. That is they are also called bingtanghulu. origin story says that the very first tanghulu only had two haws: a small one on the top and a big one below, making it resemble a hulu, a bringer of good luck.
With sour haws and sweet sugar, the taste of tanghulu is a combination of flavors, which often (remind) people of their happy childhoods.
