#K-Recipe: Tanghulu K-Food Combos Takes Over Summer!

It may now be winter over in Korea with bungeoppang (붕어빵) taking over yet again. But in summer, Tanghulu was a MASSIVE trend. Something about the visual appeal of vibrant coloured fruits became a huge trend. Even more so, because tanghulu is addictingly delicious! As soon as you bite in, it’s sweet with a crunchy texture from the sugar coating. Then, the burst of fruit juice makes the experience that much better!

Delish

I don’t know about you but in the summer, this is exactly the type of snack or dessert that I’m craving! Though there have been a surge of plenty of Tanghulu shops and stalls in Korea, unfortunately, Tanghulu shops are nowhere to be found. But what’s amazing is that Tanghulu is the easiest snack to make! One thing you have to just have to be extra careful of is not to burn yourself. So here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

• Fresh fruit, washed and dried (strawberries, grapes, mandarin, whatever you desire 🫶)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup of water
• Ice 

You’ll Also Need:

• Skewers 
• Small Pot
• Large Bowl 

1. Put fruit through the skewer
2. Add sugar and water in the pot to make the candied syrup
3. Make sure to not touch or stir until 15-20 minutes later.
4. While waiting, create a ice bath by adding (A LOT of) ice into a large bowl.
5. Then start dipping your fruit skewers into the syrup!
6. Shake well so the syrup doesn’t clump together and pop it straight into the ice bath and your Tanghulus are done!

Naver Blog | @kimzio

It’s as simple as that 🥰 But don’t think that Korea has just been selling Tanghulu simply on skewers. It’s a known fact that when in Korea, you’ll find them taking already trending foods to the next level! It amazes me how they’ve done it yet, but what’s more trendy than Tanghulu itself are these combos. So if you have more skewers to spare (and not eat), try these options out!

Instagram | @dongmen_official

This is THE one thing that I’ve been wanting to try since it popped up on my ‘For You’ page.  It all started with the restaurant, Men in Mullae-dong where their Tanghulu Highball became viral (they also went viral for their soft serve ramen 🤨). It just looks too refreshing not to try! A shot of whiskey and ice cold sparkling juice is already a summer cooler but topped off with a Tanghulu skewers gets you a dessert drink that’s perfect under the sun. Just like the restaurant, you can create your own concoction, alcoholic or not, and top with a skewer filled with whatever fruit you like 🍇🍅🍍🍓

Naver Blog | @rabbit5314

Feeling like something more than a drink? Bingsu is the ultimate summer Korean dessert if you ask me! If you haven’t heard about it, it’s simply shaved ice combined with cream or fresh milk. It’s very mildly sweet but what completes it are all the wonderful toppings. Since Korea’s Tanghulu trend begun, the candied fruits have been seen on Bingsu too. They all add extra crunch in between the icy smoothness, giving it more sweetness and also photo-worthy colour. I’ve also seen many places top it off with corn pops for even more textural crunch! 

Food and Wine

Vibrant, sweet and beautiful, what’s not to love about Tanghulu? They’re also super quick to whip up and impress your friends with all the colourfulness 🌈 If you want to take it a level higher, think about creating a drink or a cooling bingsu too. They’ll sure save you from the hot summer 😘