A few years ago, most TV channels played the same old song :"Everyone says the candied haws on a stick are sour, but they taste sweet One such stick can cure you of illness and make you 20 years younger."It's an exaggeration but the sweet-sour taste is unique, and there is a story about how candied haws cured a patient. It is said that Concubine Huang, a favorite of Emperor Guangzong of the Song Dynasty (960-1279), once fell ill and didn't want to eat anything. The emperor sought after cures throughout the country. A doctor entered the imperial palace, took the lady's pulse and said she should be fine in half a month, if she ate a few haws simmered with crystal sugar before each meal. He was right, the lady did recover. The probably ate too much greasy food and the candied haws helped her digest. When simmering haws with crystal sugar, it is crucial to regulate the fire. If the fire is too weak, the haws taste sticky if the fire is too strong, the haws would look dark and taste bitter. Some peddlers put candied haws on a stick and stacked the sticks on a pile of wheat straw. In the old days, peddlers would carry the sticks and call out in a melodious tone to attract customers. In difficult years, eating a stick of candied haws was like celebrating the new year for children. Today, such peddlers are rare and children are often enticed by other attractions.
Candied haws on a stick in Beijing is renown for its color, taste and different flavor. It is nice to eat one in winter.
