Candied hawthorn on a stick

Candied hawthorn on a stick

　　Candied hawthorn on a stick is both sweet and tangy, suitable for all ages. Not only is it delicious, but it also looks very appealing. Bright red hawthorn fruits are skewered on bamboo sticks in size order and coated with a layer of crystal-clear sugar glaze. Vendors often display them by inserting the skewers into a specially made wooden pole, resembling a small tree laden with ripe fruit — an absolutely enticing sight.

　　   In earlier years, during Beijing’s Spring Festival temple fairs and at Changdian, you could often see long strings of candied hawthorns. The top of each string was adorned with a small colorful flag, and there would be as many as a hundred hawthorn fruits on a single skewer. The bamboo sticks, weighed down by the red fruits, would sway slightly when held, adding to the festive atmosphere. Speaking of the origin of candied hawthorn, we have to mention Emperor Guangzong of the Southern Song Dynasty.

　　   Emperor Guangzong, named Zhao Dun (1147–1200 AD), was the third son of Emperor Xiaozong of Song, Zhao Shen. In 1189 AD, Emperor Xiaozong appointed him as the crown prince and made him the magistrate of Lin’an. In October 1187, he ascended the throne after his father’s abdication and changed the era name to “Shaoshing” the following year. Despite using many precious medicinal ingredients, none seemed to have much effect. The emperor grew increasingly worried as his beloved concubine grew sicker by the day. Eventually, he had no choice but to issue a public notice seeking a physician. A folk doctor answered the call, entered the palace, and after diagnosing the yellow-robed imperial concubine, said: “Just decoct rock sugar with red dates (meaning hawthorn fruit), and eat five to ten pieces before each meal. She will recover within half a month.” At first, people were skeptical, but since this remedy suited the concubine’s taste, she followed the method and indeed recovered as predicted. The emperor was naturally overjoyed and finally relaxed his furrowed brow.

　　   Later, this recipe spread among the common people, who began stringing the treats together to sell, thus giving rise to candied hawthorn on a stick. It turns out that hawthorn has many medicinal benefits: it helps eliminate food stagnation, disperse blood stasis, expel tapeworms, and stop dysentery. Particularly, it aids digestion and has since ancient times been regarded as an essential herb for relieving indigestion, especially from meat-heavy meals. Perhaps the imperial concubine’s illness stemmed from the rich and heavy delicacies she consumed, which caused indigestion — and the humble hawthorn resolved her ailment. Li Shizhen, the eminent pharmacologist of the Ming Dynasty, once remarked: “When cooking old chicken or tough meat, adding a few pieces of hawthorn makes it tender more easily. This shows how effective hawthorn is at breaking down food stagnation.”

　　   Modern research has shown that hawthorn can also help lower blood lipids and reduce serum cholesterol. As a result, it has become even more popular, and hawthorn-based foods have taken on a wide variety of new forms. But the sweet, sour, fragrant, and crisp candied hawthorn on a stick remains a beloved treat to this day.