Qianmen Hutong 前门胡同

Sugarcoated haws on a stick 糖葫芦 (tánghúlu) are displayed with another favorite, wild yams or, as they are called in Chinese, mountain yams 山药 (shānyao). The yams are the long straight roots at the bottom. The haws are small red fruits of the hawthorn tree and are sour like a crabapple. The snack dates back at least to the Ming Dynasty. These are made particularly well, as judged by the large fan of sugar leading off the fruit.