Hawthorns and Beijing

I was born and raised in Hong Kong, but my parents grew up in Beijing. They would often reminisce about the “good old days” of their youth, but their memory of Beijing is far from my own. Nostalgia looks different for everyone, but there is always a link, some kind of connection, that ties them together. For us, that link is Hawthorn.

Hawthorn berries are small, apple-like fruits with a distinctive tartness and soft texture. Fresh, they are inedible to most, but when made right, they are the most fruity, refreshing treat. My mother’s childhood home in Beijing had an old hawthorn tree, it bore fruits double the size of regular berries. During fruiting season, my grandparents would stew boxes upon boxes of these berries and eat a bowl every day. Despite this, they were, still, never able to finish them. 

My connection between Beijing and hawthorns is a bit different. Fresh berries are a rare occurrence, I’m more familiar with the processed versions: hawthorn cake, rolls of hawthorn leather, hawthorn pastries, the list goes on. In primary school, my dad's business trips to Beijing guaranteed a suitcase full of pastries, preserves, and loads of Hawthorn treats. I would stay up late just to see what assortment of snacks he’d brought back that time. This tradition remains today, and I still have a packet of Hawthorn cake from his last trip. It’s little moments and memories like this that made hawthorn berries a core element of my childhood. 

Unfortunately, my favorite hawthorn dessert was never found in that suitcase - tanghulu is a traditional northern Chinese snack, it is made with skewers of fruits coated in a thin layer of hardened sugar syrup. Hawthorn tanghulu is the best version and I stand by this statement. The crunchy sugar layer cracks to reveal the soft, tart flesh with a unique floral and berry-like fragrance. The sugar balances the acidity while preserving the sharp, almost grassy flavor of fresh hawthorns. Other fruits like strawberries and grapes tend to bleed and release juices when candied, resulting in a sticky mess of syrup. Hawthorn berries, on the other hand, have less moisture and waxy skin, a perfect barrier between the flesh and sugar. A match made a heaven. 

Hawthorn berries are seldom found in Hong Kong, but it is not impossible. When I come across a box of fresh Hawthorn, I would always attempt to make tanghulu. Sure, the candy was always crunchy and the hawthorn was, well, always hawthorn, but it never tasted right. Something about the tanghulu in Beijing just feels different -, the candy shell is always thinner and more delicate, the fruits are always the right size and bite, and somehow the hawthorn flavor is stronger and more pleasant. Many say nostalgia is the best ingredient, and I used to find that laughable. Now, I have to agree.