Chinese candy

plunk · February 4, 2005

Oh man, this thread takes me back. I loved haw flakes! Haven't had them in ages though.

My sister and I used to call the plum pellets guinea pig poop.

Anyone else remember flat square chewy candies wrapped in coloured wax paper? Sugas, or something like that.

herbacidal · February 4, 2005

Yea, I remember those. When I first saw Starburst, I thought they were the

same thing.

Edited February 4, 2005 by herbacidal (log)

Gastro888 · February 4, 2005

That's what they were called! Sugas, the imitation Starbursts. Or is it the other way around?

Did anyone eat straight rock sugar as a kid? I used to swipe some pieces from the sugar bowl at dim sum when we ordered "gook fa cha".

Shalmanese · February 4, 2005

yup, straight rock sugar, cousin acted as a lookout while I climed up to the top shelf and stole 2 lumps, then we would sit quietly and try and look innocent with conspicuous bulges in our cheeks for 1/2 an hour. :D

Gastro888 · February 4, 2005

Oh wow...I'm picturing two Chinese kids with chipmunk cheeks and bowl haircuts! LOL!

Which did you prefer - the natural rock sugar with all its sharp points and such or the polished, white, gem-liek sugar? I like the natural one.

You know, come to think of it, when you walk down the candy aisle at a Chinese grocery store, alot of the candy's from JAPAN (well, where I live at least). I don't think we have alot of that processed candy. Ours seem to be the preserved fruit, dried fruit, nuts and seeds kinda thing.

spaghetttti · February 4, 2005

Weee heee, I scored big time! There were only two bags left and I got them both.

That Botan candy sorta sounds familiar to me, and we've got all kinds of flavors for those Sugus here.

Edited February 4, 2005 by spaghetttti (log)

Shalmanese · February 4, 2005

The natural stuff, amber in colour. I'm eating a chunk right now because of this thread!

gingerpeach · February 4, 2005

Memories of childhood:

Botan rice candy

Haw Flakes

Sesame candy (small individually wrapped bars)

Kopiko coffee candy (I was never allowed coffee until I was late in my teens, but growing up on this stuff, I knew I would like it!)

Hest88 · February 4, 2005

Oh yeah, rock candy. But even better was those flat bars of Chinese brown sugar. I used to break off pieces all the time and then my mom would get upset because I hadn't left her enough when needed to make soup!

rjwong · February 4, 2005

Boy, all this candy is bringing back memories!!

First, here's a store website to where I go in LA Chinatown: Asiachi (formerly Wing Hop Fung)

gingerpeach, I modified your list and made it mine:

Botan rice candy

Haw flakes

Kopiko coffee candy

Chan Pei Mui (Preserved plums, w/ or w/o the seed, but plenty of salt!!)

Ginger candy (No edible paper on this candy, chewy; used to buy them about ten bags at a time for my friend from Canada. It kept him & his family going while driving from LA to BC.)

Pan · February 4, 2005

[...]
Kopiko coffee candy (I was never allowed coffee until I was late in my teens, but growing up on this stuff, I knew I would like it!)
←

I've got some of that right here. I bought a bag for the first time last week in Flushing, Queens, New York. It's an Indonesian product, and pretty good. Ingredients:

Sugar, glucose, milk powder, coffee extract, coffee flavor, vegetable oil, salt, caramel.

I find coffee too bitter/strong to drink but like this candy.

Ling · February 4, 2005

spaghettti: I just bought a bag of the White Rabbit candy a few days ago. I haven't eaten it in years! :biggrin:

browniebaker · February 4, 2005

When I was in Taiwan ten years ago, a relative gave me a gift of a huge bag of sweet-potato candies that didn't open until I got back home in the U.S. Then I found they to-die-for delicious, and it was too late for me to buy more! I had to limit myself to one a day, to make my supply last. The candies tasted just like a candied sweet potato and were about two inches long, shaped like a potato, and wrapped in clear cellophane. I have not seen these for sale here in the U.S. or I would corner the market.

Runners-up for my favorites are:

preserved plums and olives (if we are counting preserved fruits as candies)

red bean jelly (yokan)

coffee-flavored bubble-gum

sesame candy

Dejah · February 5, 2005

How about the transluscent rock candies with the salty plum inside?

Talk about a surprise for unsuspecting "suckers". :wink:

My sister just sent us some ginger candies. These are cylindrical shapes about an inch long x 1/2 inch in diameter. They are individually wrapped and crumble in your mouth when you bit into them. There's a wonderful burst of ginger flavour when you bite!

hzrt8w · February 5, 2005

Peanut candies and sesame candies are traditional flavors. When I went to 99 Ranch Market, they now make nut candies with sun flower seeds, walnuts, cashews, black/white sesames, pecans, etc..

I like the preserved plums, lemons, olives, apricots, loquets, etc.. They are easy to find, but hard to find *good* ones in the USA.

gingerpeach · February 5, 2005

<...snip...>
I find coffee too bitter/strong to drink but like this candy.
←

Pan, have you tried South Indian filter coffee? It's got that smooth, creamy, almost chocolaty taste that the candies have.

rjwong, browniebaker, and hzrt8w, I've never had preserved plums. Are they more sweet or savory?

Dejah · February 5, 2005

<...snip...>
I find coffee too bitter/strong to drink but like this candy.
←
Pan, have you tried South Indian filter coffee? It's got that smooth, creamy, almost chocolaty taste that the candies have.
rjwong, browniebaker, and hzrt8w, I've never had preserved plums. Are they more sweet or savory?
←

Wah mui are the salty ones, dry wrinkled grey coloured plums with a touch of sweet. These are sold loose in a bag or small plastic containers.

One kind is REALLY salty. I remember my mom pouring hot water over these to make a briny drink whenever we had sore throats.

Chun pei mui are the double paper wrapper moist (should be!) sweet preserved plums flavoured with licorice.

Pan · February 5, 2005

<...snip...>
I find coffee too bitter/strong to drink but like this candy.
←
Pan, have you tried South Indian filter coffee? It's got that smooth, creamy, almost chocolaty taste that the candies have.[...]
←

Nope, never tried it. I'll keep that recommendation in mind.

chefzadi · February 6, 2005

Chefdazi: There is only one version, and it was invented by the Chinese.
←

So it spread from China Eastward and Westward? It's found throughout the Middle East, there's an Italian version as well...

The Chinese origins don't surprise me. Just curious.

chefzadi · February 6, 2005

I love the chewy ginger candies with the edible inner wrap. These have a picture of ginger on the wrapper. Great for staying awake when you are driving . . . sweet and hot!
←
That wrapper's edible?
Reminds me of when I lived in korea with my parents, and my mom used to eat the plastic-wrapper the hot-dogs came in, until she was told she was not told to...
My favorites of the momment (just bought a big bag in SF chinatown) are the sleightly fizzy soda-flavored candies (specially the cola ones, though the lemon-lime are nice). And the candied kumquats, though these come in a variety of qualities.
←

This reminds me of the story my wife told about bonbel cheese the miniature ones wrapped in wax. When her family first move to the states over 30 years ago, they ate the whole cheese wax and all. They recall wondering "what is this, these strange Americans call food?"

Ben Hong · February 6, 2005

Chefdazi: There is only one version, and it was invented by the Chinese.
←
So it spread from China Eastward and Westward? It's found throughout the Middle East, there's an Italian version as well...
The Chinese origins don't surprise me. Just curious.
←

Chefdazi. I posted that with just a bit of tongue in cheek. Sesame was and is stiil, almost a staple in many countries of the ancient world, as it was grown throughout the known world at the time. Almost every culture had something similar, but even though I said that the Chinese invented it, sesame candies could have been "invented" by any one of 20 ancient countries. All such claims would be correct, in a sense. :cool:

Now, to piss off my Italian friends here, I will state unequivocably and irrefutably, that the Chinese invented pasta. :raz: :raz:

Hest88 · February 6, 2005

Oh gosh, I can't believe I forgot about PRUNE CANDY! These are the prune flavored hard candies, not preserved plums or anything like that. Problem is, I only like the old-fashioned brand in the waxy wrapper. The surface of the candy, for some reason, gets soft and sort of waxy, but the rest of it has the consistency of hard candy. Perfect balance of sweet and sour, IMO. It seems to have disappeared from the Bay Area, but every so often friends of mine will bring some back from LA.

rjwong · February 6, 2005

After being stuck in my apt. with a virus for two days, I was feeling good enough to take a drive to LA Chinatown to buy some Chinese candy. :smile:

Let's see, I bought:

Sesame candy

Kopiko coffee candy

Haw flakes

Chan Pei Mui

Ginger candy

The ginger candy not only tastes good, but it's great for a bad throat.

Thanks for the memories, everyone.

browniebaker · February 6, 2005

<...snip...>
I find coffee too bitter/strong to drink but like this candy.
←
Pan, have you tried South Indian filter coffee? It's got that smooth, creamy, almost chocolaty taste that the candies have.
rjwong, browniebaker, and hzrt8w, I've never had preserved plums. Are they more sweet or savory?
←
Wah mui are the salty ones, dry wrinkled grey coloured plums with a touch of sweet. These are sold loose in a bag or small plastic containers.
One kind is REALLY salty. I remember my mom pouring hot water over these to make a briny drink whenever we had sore throats.
Chun pei mui are the double paper wrapper moist (should be!) sweet preserved plums flavoured with licorice.
←

I know the more-salty-than-sweet, dried, wrinkly plums. They last in the mouth for hours!

But my absolute favorite are the more-sweet-than-salty, moist, syrupy plums that are typically sold in small bags, not individually wrapped or anything. I can't decide which I like better, the red ones that are glossy and almost translucent and slightly crisp, or the almost black, opaque, wrinkled ones that are soft. It's almost a game for me, to see how long I can suck on one until I can't resist and have to bite; then, the hit of sweet and savory flavor just knocks you out.

Dejah · February 6, 2005

Oh Yeah! " How long can you hold off before the first crunch"!

There's another red one, not like the ones browniebaker posted about...Can't remember what they were called. :sad:

How about the licorice flavoured olives? Some lemon flavoured as well. Or those peanut and sesame bars?

I had a candy from Trader Joes when we were in LA. They were black sesame bars with cumin. They were great!

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