White Festival Sugar

White Festival Sugar

　　　[White Festival Sugar]: A type of maltose candy, locally known as White Festival Sugar in Qiaolin. It is a specialty product of the Qiaolin area. Made from rice and malt, it is produced through steaming, boiling, and simmering, and is a traditional food of Qiaolin. Production begins after the Frost’s Descent solar term each year and continues until the Spring Festival. It is an essential sweet treat for the New Year among the people of Qiaolin. In addition to being consumed at home, it is also offered to visiting relatives and friends who come to pay New Year’s greetings. At that time, there were ten or so large and small workshops in Qiaolin, especially that of Huo Zhaoxiang (an immigrant from Changzhou), who had been in Qiaolin for many years. His family had been making White Festival Sugar for generations. With his exceptional craftsmanship, careful ingredient selection, and meticulous preparation, he created a version where fine strands of White Festival Sugar were filled with a black sesame powder filling. This type of sugar was white, slightly bluish in hue, sweet, and crispy—beloved by all. The local maltose candy of Qiaolin was also exported to regions such as Anhui and southern Jiangnan.