Hawthorn is hailed as the number one fruit of winter. From a nutritional perspective, hawthorn is rich in vitamins, second only to fresh jujubes and kiwis. Its vitamin C content reaches 60-90 milligrams per 100 grams of pulp. Additionally, it contains vitamins B1 and B2. Furthermore, hawthorn has relatively high levels of sugars and organic acids, so while it is good eaten raw, its taste is very sour, which people often find hard to accept.
In terms of consumption, the best choice is to eat candied haws on a stick. The fruit has not been subjected to high temperatures, making it sweet and sour in taste.
Old Beijing Candied Haws on a Stick
When selecting hawthorns, those with small, few, and smooth fruit dots on the peel generally have a lower sourness. In terms of fruit shape, oval-shaped hawthorns are much better for processing and are often used to make hawthorn cake, whereas flat-round hawthorns have poorer processing qualities and taste. From the perspective of pulp color, white or yellow hawthorns have better processing qualities and taste.
Hawthorn Cake