Although this food isn’t new (you’ve probably seen it around here as well since it’s a popular Chinese street food), it has been trending lately again as one of the easy-to-prepare food at home, as South Koreans are staying indoors to battle the virus. Also with White Day coming up, people have been making them as gifts for their significant other. Presenting to you, the tanghuru – candied fruit lollipop (탕후루) and how to DIY at home easily.
We’ll be showing the recipe for strawberry tanghuru, one of the most popular fruit variations.
Strawberry Tanghuru Recipe
Required:
- Strawberries
- White sugar (1 cup, 200cc)
- Corn syrup (1/4 cup, 50cc)
- Water (1/4 cup, 50cc)
- Kitchen towel (or tissue)
- Satay sticks
- Baking parchment paper
Step 1: Rinse the strawberries with water and remove the stems
Step 2: Dry the strawberries with the kitchen towel (they must be dry, or else the sugar mixture won’t ‘stick’ on the strawberries) and then skewer the strawberries
Step 3: Add the sugar, followed by water and corn syrup into a pot and put it on medium high heat (if you don’t have corn syrup, replace it with water so it’ll be 1/2 cup water in total). When the mixture starts to boil, turn down to medium heat. Take note NOT TO STIR the mixture at all!
– To check if the mixture is ready (it will look slightly yellowish but it’s hard to tell while it’s boiling), prepare a cup of cold water and drop a spoonful of the mixture inside – if it hardens immediately, then you’re ready for the next step!
Step 4: Dip the strawberry skewers into the sugar mixture, or use a spoon to evenly pour out the mixture on the the strawberries. Depending on how thick you want the sugar coating to be, you can apply it several times after the coating dries
Step 5: Put the strawberry skewers on the parchment paper for them to dry (the non-stick properties will ensure that the strawberries won’t stick to the paper) and then they’re ready to be eaten!
Tips:
– If the coating doesn’t dry, turn on the fire and boil the mixture for a longer time. If the mixture is too thick, add some water and boil again.
– If the sugar mixture hardens up, turn on the heat and boil it again.
Besides strawberries, you can try this recipe on other fruits as well, and get creative with them! It makes a good handmade gift, especially when you package it into a bouquet – and it instantly looks aesthetically appealing.
