The best way to eat hawthorn: eating it raw is the most healthful.

Hawthorn is known as the number one fruit of winter. From a nutritional perspective, hawthorn is rich in vitamins, second only to fresh jujubes and kiwis, with a vitamin C content of 60-90 mg per 100 grams of pulp. It also contains vitamins B1 and B2. Additionally, hawthorn has high levels of sugars and organic acids, so although it is healthy to eat raw, its taste is very sour. Eating hawthorn raw is the most health-beneficial.

Candied Hawthorn

People often find the sour taste of hawthorn hard to accept. The best way to eat it is in the form of candied hawthorn, where the fruit is not damaged by high heat and has a sweet and sour taste.

When selecting hawthorns, those with small, few, and smooth lenticels on the peel tend to be less sour. In terms of shape, oval hawthorns are generally much better for processing and are often used to make hawthorn cake, whereas flat-round hawthorns have poorer processing qualities and taste. Regarding the color of the pulp, white or yellow hawthorns have better processing qualities and taste.