Tanghulu 糖葫芦

糖葫芦是不少人心中的童年味道，这款风靡中国的小吃近年来更是冲出国门，走向世界，就连有些不喜甜食的外国人也被它征服了呢……

Most kids have a sweet tooth， and I was no exception. When I was young， my favorite time of the year was fall when the leaves became brightly colored and the temperature would drop.

This season wouldnt have been complete without the seasonal specialty， candy apples. These are apples that are covered with sugar candy. But as I grew older， I became less and less interested in eating candy and other sweet foods.

However， every winter in Beijing， theres one kind of candy that I still like to eat. Its called tanghulu， a traditional snack thats made of fruit covered in hard candy， which is very similar to the candy apples of my childhood.

Tanghulu is traditionally made with Chinese hawthorn berries， but many types of fruit can be used to make it. Its possible to find tanghulu made with oranges， strawberries or blueberries.

Every bite of tanghulu takes me back to my childhood. Enjoying this sweet treat makes me imagine putting up Halloween decorations with my family or playing football with my friends after school.

Yet the more winters Ive spent in China， the more Ive learned that Chinese people also attach fond memories to this snack. The combined taste of sweet and tart flavors often transports many nostalgic Chinese people back to their childhood.

For many Beijing residents， tanghulu isnt only a tasty treat， but also an auspicious symbol and highlight of the traditional temple fairs held during the Lunar New Year holidays.

Tanghulu originally came from northern China， but it can be found in almost every Chinese city these days. Its even crossed the border into Russia. One tanghulu vendor in Russia sold 8，000 sticks of tanghulu in one day， according to CCTV News.

And in the Russian city of Vladivostok， the deputy mayor is a huge fan of the snack， coming in person to buy it himself from a Chinese vendor in the city named Wang Jialiang， according to Daqing Daily.

So it seems that this sweet treat holds a special place in many peoples hearts. To me， buying a stick of tanghulu certainly makes me feel better if Im ever feeling homesick.

大多數小朋友都喜爱甜食，我也不例外。小时候，一年中我最喜欢的季节是秋天，层林尽染，天气凉爽。

没有太妃糖苹果这种当季特色点心的秋天是不完整的。这种苹果外都裹着一层糖浆。但随着年龄的增长，我对糖果以及其他甜食却越来越兴致索然了。

然而，每年冬天在北京，我却很喜欢吃一种糖果——“糖葫芦”。这种传统小吃由裹着硬糖稀的水果制成，和我小时候吃的太妃糖苹果十分相似。

传统的糖葫芦由山楂果制成，但除此之外不少别的水果也能做成糖葫芦。你会发现有冰糖橘子、冰糖草莓、冰糖蓝莓等糖葫芦串。

每一口糖葫芦都会唤起我的童年回忆。吃这种甜食会让我想起和家人一起布置万圣节装饰，或是放学后和朋友们踢球的时光。

如今我在中国过冬越来越多，我也愈发了解到，中国人也对这种小吃有着美好的回忆。糖葫芦酸酸甜甜的味道常常让中国人怀念起自己的童年时光。

对于许多北京人而言，冰糖葫芦不光是一种美味的小吃，更是一个吉利的彩头，还是农历新年期间传统庙会上的一大亮点。

糖葫芦发源于中国北方，但如今几乎在所有中国城市中都能找到它的身影。糖葫芦甚至还走出国门，传到了俄罗斯。据《央视新闻》报道，俄罗斯一个糖葫芦小贩每天能卖出8000根糖葫芦。

而据《大庆日报》报道，俄罗斯海参崴的副市长是糖葫芦的忠实粉丝，他曾亲自来这里向一名叫王家亮的中国摊主买糖葫芦。

这么看来，这款甜食在不少人心目中都有着特殊的地位。对我而言，想家的时候买根糖葫芦吃，心里就会舒服多了。

Vocabulary

exception n. 例外；除外

attach v.（使）与……有联系；与……有关联

transport v. 使产生身临其境的感觉

auspicious adj. 吉利的；吉祥的

originally adv. 原来；起初；独创地