Pulled Sugar Grapes

Pulled Sugar Grapes

　　Pulled Sugar Grapes

　　Pulled Sugar Grapes is a famous dish served at banquets in Xuanhua. The white milk grapes of Xuanhua are crystal clear, milky-white with a slight yellow tint, and sweet as mellow honey. Their skin can be peeled and the core removed without any juice leaking out — they are often said to be “like sliced milk that doesn’t spill.”

　　The food industry in Xuanhua has made full use of this unique advantage, inheriting and promoting traditional culinary culture to create the uniquely flavorful Pulled Sugar Grapes — truly a standout dish at banquets in Xuanhua.

　　The cooking method for Pulled Sugar Grapes is as follows: Clean one jin (500g) of milk grapes and set aside. Peel the grapes, remove the cores, dust them with a layer of flour, and coat them in a batter made from egg whites mixed with cornstarch. Then deep-fry them until cooked. Next, use three liang (150g) of white sugar: heat a little oil in a wok, stir-fry the sugar until it turns light yellow and forms no bubbles but is ready to form threads. Add the fried grapes and quickly stir-fry so that the sugar syrup evenly coats the grapes. Then remove from the wok.

　　Before eating, briefly dip the grapes in cold boiled water and they’re ready to enjoy. Pulled Sugar Grapes are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, sweet and delicious, and highly nutritious — beloved by many.

　　Pulled Sugar Grapes mainly tests the chef’s skill in controlling the heat, especially when frying the sugar — if the heat is too low, the sugar won’t thread; if it’s too high, the sugar will burn. Nowadays, this iconic dish of Xuanhua is on the verge of being lost, and it’s no longer available in restaurants. May the rising generation of chefs uphold the tradition and bring Pulled Sugar Grapes back to the dining table.