Small sticks with glittering and translucent red fruits are all inserted in the grass target tied with straw stalks like disorderly arrows, slightly sticking out of the street and tempting passers-by. Sweet but not greasy, sour, biting down, popping and crunching, the mouth will involuntarily make a happy sound.
The symbol of the Spring Festival in Beijing.
That winter, "candied haws, candied haws ..." could be heard in the alleys of old Beijing. Candied haws are on sale during the Spring Festival. The book "Spring Dream in Beijing" records: "Traveling in the factory on New Year's Eve". "If I'm tired of shopping, I'll buy paper flowers, which are a bunch of candied haws and inserted by the car."
Today, low-priced candied haws are still well-known snacks in Beijing. Now it is popular not only in the Spring Festival, but also during the May Day and November holidays. The more you sell, the more prosperous you are. There are many varieties, besides red fruit (hawthorn), there are yam, kidney bean, orange, water chestnut, banana, kiwi fruit, honey-stuffed red fruit and so on.
Sugar-coated haws cured intractable diseases.
Sugar-coated haws have a long history. It is said that they originated in Shao Xi in the Southern Song Dynasty. That year, Huang Guifei, the emperor's favorite, fell ill, and the physician used a lot of expensive medicine, which had no effect. The emperor saw his beloved princess gaunt and sad day by day, and finally had to post a list of doctors.
A charlatan entered the palace and took the pulse of Huang Guifei. He said: "As long as you use rock sugar and red fruits (that is, hawthorn), eat five or ten pieces before each meal, and you will be fine for half a month before you get sick." At first, everyone was dubious. Fortunately, this way of eating is very suitable for the imperial concubine. After Huang Guifei took it, she recovered as scheduled, and the emperor naturally rejoiced and began to frown. Later, this practice spread to the imperial concubine.
Modern medical experiment has proved that hawthorn is rich in vitamin C, vitamin E, carotene and other nutrients and dietary fiber. Dietary fiber is the "intestinal scavenger" of the body, which is beneficial to food digestion and waste excretion. In addition, hawthorn also contains a variety of active substances, which can dilate blood vessels, improve heart vitality, soften blood vessels and lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Perhaps the delicacies eaten by Huang Guifei accumulated in the digestive tract and caused the disease, while the small hawthorn was just the right symptom.
The key to making sugar-coated haws depends on the heat
Making candied haws is both simple and not simple. The key technology is boiling sugar. Rock candy is actually sugar, boiled in a big spoon of copper or brass. Pay attention to the heat when cooking, it is easy to stick when eating. The heat is too strong, not only the color is heavy, but also the taste is bitter. Secondly, we must grasp the consistency, so that the thick ones will not dip, and the thin ones will hang. In addition, the core of hawthorn should be removed, but it should be turned in the middle of hawthorn with a knife. After taking out the core, put it on with a bamboo stick and roll it in boiling hot sugar. Hot sugar will turn into crystal clear candied haws after cooling.
Because the quality of sugar, cooking technology and hawthorn are different, the quality of Sugar-Coated Berry is naturally different. In the past, people thought that candied haws were best made in two places, one was Dongan Market, and the other was Xinyuanzhai in Beijing Liulichang. As soon as October of the lunar calendar, the candied haws of these two companies began to go on the market. It would be a pity if people who have been to Dongan market have not eaten candied haws there. At that time, Xinyuanzhai's candied haws were regarded as the best in Sugar-Coated Berry. Mr. Liang Shiqiu recorded in the article "Elegant House Talking about Eating" that candied haws are "the best, and no bamboo sticks are needed. Every hawthorn or begonia is independent, and the fruits used are big and clean, packed in paper boxes lined with oil paper and carried away by guests".
Happy childhood in Sugar-Coated Berry
A friend of mine is an admirer of sugar-coated haws. Whether it is a holiday or not, she always buys a few strings home from time to time. She told me that she especially liked to eat candied haws since she was a child, and the sweet and sour taste had a great temptation to her. Whenever she hears "candied haws …", she always intercedes with her parents first, and then goes out to buy them with her sister and brother. At that time, she was in financial difficulties, and a bunch of candied haws could buy five steamed buns. Not every adult can meet the requirements of children. But her mother can't stand the children's entreaties. She always said that girls should not be too greedy, so she took out her wallet from her pocket and gave her money to buy it.
She said poetically, "Sugar-coated haws are simply our happy childhood. You see, sugar-coated haws are red and round, aren't they just like our red and round faces when we were young? " When we grow up eating candied haws, isn't it like a mountain with red bamboo sticks? All girls like to eat candied haws and indulge in sweet dreams. "
Sugar-coated haws are delicious and songs are sweet.
1997, the song "Sugar-coated Hulu" by pop singer Feng Xiaoquan was popular all over the country and won the China Top Ten Golden Melody Award. Sang Song: "It is said that candied haws are sour, and the sweetness is wrapped in the sour ... candied haws are looked at with bamboo sticks, symbolizing happiness and reunion, and connecting happiness and reunion in a string without worries and troubles ..." How well it sings! Linking happiness with reunion, without worry or annoyance, fully expresses the good wishes of ordinary people for happiness.