Shanzhagao (Chinese: 山楂糕, Pinyin: ''shānzhāgāo)'' or hawthorn cake is a Chinese snack food made from the Chinese hawthorn, ''
Crataegus pinnatifida
''Crataegus pinnatifida'', also known as mountain hawthorn, Chinese haw, Chinese hawthorn or Chinese hawberry, refers to a small to medium-sized tree, as well as the fruit of the tree. The fruit is bright red, in diameter.
Use
Culinary use
In ...
''. Shanzhagao is red in color and has a gummy texture. It is typically cut into cubes.
Process
The red dessert is usually made by cooking hawthorn berries and blending or pounding them into a paste. The paste is then cooked again and placed in a dish to set into a gelatin-like state. Sugar is also typically added during the paste stage.
Traditional medicine
Chinese hawthorn berries have been believed to benefit health in Chinese traditional medicine since the
Tang dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...
. It is particularly believed to benefit the heart and digestive system.
See also
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Haw flakes
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Pear-syrup candy
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Tanghulu
''Tanghulu'' () or ''tang hulu'' (), also called ''bingtang hulu'' (), is a traditional Chinese snack consisting of several malt sugar coated fruits of Chinese hawthorn ('' Crataegus pinnatifida'') on a bamboo skewer. It is typically made by ...
References
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Chinese confectionery
Chinese traditions
Traditional Chinese medicine