One of my favourite treats as a kid was receiving Haw Flakes after being coerced into drinking my Chinese medicine soup or what I called woo joe suy aka “dirt water”.
[pic of sour face + dirt water + hawthorne flakes = smiley child]
I offered it to my white coworker Emily and she, like others, gave me an inquisitive look. So here’s my explanation of this little Chinamen treat:
Childish Deliciousness! photo cred: kattebelletje
Haw Flakes is made of the fruit, hawthorn, pronounced zhan zja bang in Cantonese and written as 山楂餅. It is a fruit similar to an apple but mini. It is grown all over the world but very popular in Chinese culture.
Hawthorn Fruit. photo cred: tristrambrelstaff
The best form of hawthorne is candied hawthorne *double drool* in Beijing and completely fell in love with it.
*dait = drooling as I type* photo cred: tr4nslator
In Chinese medicine, hawthorne is commonly used to reduce hypertension and stimulate digestion.
I love it for its mouth puckering tartness and cute little size. Just discovered that it comes in a mini tube version hehe! Loves it.
For less than a dollar, you can purchase this Mashed Banana treat at a Chinese medicine store or supermarket near you. The packaging of a 10-year old bag versus a fresh bag looks exactly the same so make sure you go to a place with higher turnover to avoid stale Haw Flakes.
haha. LOVE this stuff. I think I used to have it after chinese medicine, but then eventually I just started eating it for the hell of it.
I know. Me too. I’m like a little old lady – I carry a bag in my purse -_-