Dragon's beard candy
Encyclopedia
Dragon's beard candy is a handmade traditional art of Ancient China. It is also a traditional Chinese sweet
similar to spun sugar
, which can be found in many Chinese communities
. Dragon’s Beard Candy was initially created in China, but soon spread in popularity and became a regional delicacy in other parts of East Asia
, as well as (and more recently) Canada
, Singapore
, the United States
, Taiwan
, Hong Kong
and Japan
. Dragon's Beard Candy is highly prized sweet within the Korea
n royal court as well.
Originally, Dragon’s Beard Candy was available only with a coconut flavor, but later chocolate was added to appeal to children. Modern Dragon's Beard Candy contains a flavored mixed with chocolate, coconut and peanut. It is not sold to any company, and it retails at the price of 3 Canadian dollars, before tax. Dragon’s Beard Candy is not conceived as an easily marketable candy because it requires rare specialized skill to produce. Moreover, because the method involved in making Dragon’s Beard Candy is an inherited trade, only a few people know the proper way to make it. As a result, Dragon’s Beard Candy is becoming quite rare, especially due to the lack of a substantial public advertising campaign. Though its availability is limited, Dragon's Beard Candy can still be found in specific areas such as tourist destinations including the Takayama Historic District in Takayama, Gifu
. The target group of this product includes all ages, not only children as the "candy" piece of the name may perhaps denote.
It has a very high sugar
content (29%), and may be considered additionally unhealthy due to its 4% saturated fat
content. For comparison, comparing Dragon’s Beard Candy with cotton candy
, cotton candy has no fat content. Despite the fact that the candy is well-known traditionally, it is typically not popular to keep within a household since it primarily has a very short shelf life
, due to its high sensitivity to moisture, as well as the tendency of the candy to melt when exposed to higher temperatures, including atypically warm weather conditions.
. As the story recounts, an imperial court chef entertained the Emperor
one day by performing steps involved in making a new confection. The process of making the candy involved stretching a dough-like mixture composed from rice flour into small, thin strands. These strands reminded the Emperor of a dragon’s beard, and were sticky enough to adhere to one's face quite easily, so thus the concoction was there-forth named as Dragon's Beard Candy. The name may also be attributed to the status of the mythical dragon
as a symbol of Chinese Emperor, so presenting the confection as Dragon’s Beard Candy was deemed acceptable due to the social nature of the candy, as it was reserved only for the ruling class
, likely due additionally to the complexity of the preparation process. Dragon's Beard Candy provided a source of conflict several centuries later, however, as during the Chinese Cultural Revolution the Red Guard, acting in accordance to the orders of the Communist Party of China
, forbade the Chinese populace to hold activities that could be attributed to the Han Dynasty. Because the initially rare nature of the candy was at this point combined with government enforcement of disdaining this art, the craft of making Dragon’s Beard Candy became even more isolated and sparsely practiced. Nevertheless, in recent years, the art has resurfaced in tourist destinations such as various street festivals, and has even spread to farther reaches of the globe through dedicated masters of the task. One of the more famous instances of this occurrence involved the spread of Dragon's Beard Candy to Montreal
, Canada, through a Hong Kong-born Canadian named Johnny Chin who began practicing the theatrical candy-making art in Montreal in 1991.
and maltose syrup, although recipes based on corn syrup
are now used in the United States
. The main ingredients of Dragon’s Beard Candy include approximately 75 grams of fine white sugar, 75 grams of peanuts, 75 grams of desiccated coconut, 38 grams of white sesame seeds, 150 grams of corn syrup, and 1 bowl of glutinous rice flour. Due to the presence of large amounts of syrup, the candy is very high in fat and sugar.
For preparation of Dragon's Beard Candy, the preparer must initially boil and melt the saturated
maltose
solution (which may include sugar or corn syrup) for 5 minutes until thickened, followed by leaving the mixture to chill for 10 minutes until a solid state is reached. This resulting solid, which is somewhat flexible or elastic, is then formed into a torus
. Next, the preparer must dip the gooey sugar, corn syrup
or sugar cane based gel and dip it into the sugar dough. Thirdly, the gooey chunk must be shaped into a ring resembling a donut, the key feature being the large hole. This step must by followed by repeatedly pulling, twisting, stretching and folding the dough over on itself, doubling the number of strands created after each repetition. While the candy is being folded, it is recommended to keep the dough covered in toasted glutinous flour to prevent it from sticking to surfaces. The dough must then be stretched into paper thin strands, where each strand should be three to four inches long. Then, the strands should be tangled into a circular shape, and dipped into corn flour to keep the strands from sticking together. Finally, the ring should be cut into small pieces and wrapped around crushed peanuts
, sesame seeds, crunched chocolate
or coconut
inside. Specific Dragon's Beard Candy filling depends on several factors, such as region, purpose, and respective chef.
The candy is recommended to be consumed immediately after its preparation is complete, but it should remain fresh for up to six minutes in heat.
fat, when consumed in high quantity. Corn syrup belongs to a family of added sugarand is added in Dragon’s Beard Candy to act as a sweetener to enhance the flavor. However, when consuming large quantities of corn syrup, it adds extra calories to one's diet and can lead to an increase in weight, which may further contribute to both obesity
and cardiovascular disease
. In order to avoid the above disease, the World Health Organization
recommends not to intake more than 10% of added sugar in one's diet per day. The American Heart Association
also recommends women and men should not take more than 100 and 150 calories of added sugar each day.
. Both substances will clump together when exposed to the air for a certain amount of time. However, cotton candy has a larger surface area, thus allowing a small amount of sugar to generate into a greater volume of product. Its serving on each stick is 37 grams, including food dyes and flavor, containing around 110 calories per serving. While Dragon’s Beard Candy contain a lower content of sugar (7.2 grams), it contains a slightly higher caloric content of 141.2, as well as a higher fat content (6.1 grams), compared to Western-style cotton candy, typically containing 0g of fat.
Chinese desserts
Chinese desserts are sweet foods and dishes that are served with tea, along with meals or at the end of meals in Chinese cuisine. The desserts encompass a wide variety of ingredients commonly used in East Asian cuisines such as powdered or whole glutinous rice, sweet bean pastes, and agar...
similar to spun sugar
Spun Sugar
Spun Sugar is an American thoroughbred mare racehorse. She is sired by multiple grade one stakes winner, Awesome Again who was United States Horse of the Year. He in turn was sired by another leading American sire in Deputy Minister...
, which can be found in many Chinese communities
Chinatown
A Chinatown is an ethnic enclave of overseas Chinese people, although it is often generalized to include various Southeast Asian people. Chinatowns exist throughout the world, including East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Americas, Australasia, and Europe. Binondo's Chinatown located in Manila,...
. Dragon’s Beard Candy was initially created in China, but soon spread in popularity and became a regional delicacy in other parts of East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
, as well as (and more recently) Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Dragon's Beard Candy is highly prized sweet within the Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n royal court as well.
Originally, Dragon’s Beard Candy was available only with a coconut flavor, but later chocolate was added to appeal to children. Modern Dragon's Beard Candy contains a flavored mixed with chocolate, coconut and peanut. It is not sold to any company, and it retails at the price of 3 Canadian dollars, before tax. Dragon’s Beard Candy is not conceived as an easily marketable candy because it requires rare specialized skill to produce. Moreover, because the method involved in making Dragon’s Beard Candy is an inherited trade, only a few people know the proper way to make it. As a result, Dragon’s Beard Candy is becoming quite rare, especially due to the lack of a substantial public advertising campaign. Though its availability is limited, Dragon's Beard Candy can still be found in specific areas such as tourist destinations including the Takayama Historic District in Takayama, Gifu
Takayama, Gifu
is a city located in Gifu, Japan. As of July, 2011 the city has an estimated population of 92,369. The total area is .Takayama was settled as far back as the Jōmon period. Takayama is best known for its inhabitants' expertise in carpentry. It is believed carpenters from Takayama worked on the...
. The target group of this product includes all ages, not only children as the "candy" piece of the name may perhaps denote.
Description
Dragon’s Beard Candy has been described as an old-fashioned candy characterized by a “rich, sweet flavor” with a threaded, chewy texture. Its appearance resembles that of a white cocoon or pillow shape.It has a very high sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
content (29%), and may be considered additionally unhealthy due to its 4% saturated fat
Saturated fat
Saturated fat is fat that consists of triglycerides containing only saturated fatty acids. Saturated fatty acids have no double bonds between the individual carbon atoms of the fatty acid chain. That is, the chain of carbon atoms is fully "saturated" with hydrogen atoms...
content. For comparison, comparing Dragon’s Beard Candy with cotton candy
Cotton candy
Cotton candy , candy floss or candyfloss or candy buttox , or fairy floss is a form of spun sugar. Since cotton candy is mostly air, a small initial quantity of sugar generates a tremendously greater final volume, causing servings to be physically large and voluminous...
, cotton candy has no fat content. Despite the fact that the candy is well-known traditionally, it is typically not popular to keep within a household since it primarily has a very short shelf life
Shelf life
Shelf life is the length of time that food, drink, medicine, chemicals, and many other perishable items are given before they are considered unsuitable for sale, use, or consumption...
, due to its high sensitivity to moisture, as well as the tendency of the candy to melt when exposed to higher temperatures, including atypically warm weather conditions.
Nutritional Fact Table
The following table presents the nutritional information of Dragon's Beard Candy per serving (37g).History
The legend of Dragon’s Beard Candy was first notably practiced during the Chinese Han DynastyHan Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
. As the story recounts, an imperial court chef entertained the Emperor
Emperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
one day by performing steps involved in making a new confection. The process of making the candy involved stretching a dough-like mixture composed from rice flour into small, thin strands. These strands reminded the Emperor of a dragon’s beard, and were sticky enough to adhere to one's face quite easily, so thus the concoction was there-forth named as Dragon's Beard Candy. The name may also be attributed to the status of the mythical dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
as a symbol of Chinese Emperor, so presenting the confection as Dragon’s Beard Candy was deemed acceptable due to the social nature of the candy, as it was reserved only for the ruling class
Ruling class
The term ruling class refers to the social class of a given society that decides upon and sets that society's political policy - assuming there is one such particular class in the given society....
, likely due additionally to the complexity of the preparation process. Dragon's Beard Candy provided a source of conflict several centuries later, however, as during the Chinese Cultural Revolution the Red Guard, acting in accordance to the orders of the Communist Party of China
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
, forbade the Chinese populace to hold activities that could be attributed to the Han Dynasty. Because the initially rare nature of the candy was at this point combined with government enforcement of disdaining this art, the craft of making Dragon’s Beard Candy became even more isolated and sparsely practiced. Nevertheless, in recent years, the art has resurfaced in tourist destinations such as various street festivals, and has even spread to farther reaches of the globe through dedicated masters of the task. One of the more famous instances of this occurrence involved the spread of Dragon's Beard Candy to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Canada, through a Hong Kong-born Canadian named Johnny Chin who began practicing the theatrical candy-making art in Montreal in 1991.
Preparation
Traditionally, Dragon's Beard Candy is made from sugarSugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
and maltose syrup, although recipes based on corn syrup
Corn syrup
Corn syrup is a food syrup, which is made from the starch of maize and contains varying amounts of maltose and higher oligosaccharides, depending on the grade. Corn syrup is used in foods to soften texture, add volume, prevent crystallization of sugar, and enhance flavor...
are now used in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The main ingredients of Dragon’s Beard Candy include approximately 75 grams of fine white sugar, 75 grams of peanuts, 75 grams of desiccated coconut, 38 grams of white sesame seeds, 150 grams of corn syrup, and 1 bowl of glutinous rice flour. Due to the presence of large amounts of syrup, the candy is very high in fat and sugar.
For preparation of Dragon's Beard Candy, the preparer must initially boil and melt the saturated
Saturation (chemistry)
In chemistry, saturation has six different meanings, all based on reaching a maximum capacity...
maltose
Maltose
Maltose , or malt sugar, is a disaccharide formed from two units of glucose joined with an αbond, formed from a condensation reaction. The isomer "isomaltose" has two glucose molecules linked through an α bond. Maltose is the second member of an important biochemical series of glucose chains....
solution (which may include sugar or corn syrup) for 5 minutes until thickened, followed by leaving the mixture to chill for 10 minutes until a solid state is reached. This resulting solid, which is somewhat flexible or elastic, is then formed into a torus
Torus
In geometry, a torus is a surface of revolution generated by revolving a circle in three dimensional space about an axis coplanar with the circle...
. Next, the preparer must dip the gooey sugar, corn syrup
Corn syrup
Corn syrup is a food syrup, which is made from the starch of maize and contains varying amounts of maltose and higher oligosaccharides, depending on the grade. Corn syrup is used in foods to soften texture, add volume, prevent crystallization of sugar, and enhance flavor...
or sugar cane based gel and dip it into the sugar dough. Thirdly, the gooey chunk must be shaped into a ring resembling a donut, the key feature being the large hole. This step must by followed by repeatedly pulling, twisting, stretching and folding the dough over on itself, doubling the number of strands created after each repetition. While the candy is being folded, it is recommended to keep the dough covered in toasted glutinous flour to prevent it from sticking to surfaces. The dough must then be stretched into paper thin strands, where each strand should be three to four inches long. Then, the strands should be tangled into a circular shape, and dipped into corn flour to keep the strands from sticking together. Finally, the ring should be cut into small pieces and wrapped around crushed peanuts
Peanuts
Peanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000, continuing in reruns afterward...
, sesame seeds, crunched chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
or coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
inside. Specific Dragon's Beard Candy filling depends on several factors, such as region, purpose, and respective chef.
The candy is recommended to be consumed immediately after its preparation is complete, but it should remain fresh for up to six minutes in heat.
Health risk
Dragon’s Beard Candy contains high sugar and corn syrup. Thus, unregulated consumption of Dragon’s Beard Candy may lead to increased levels of bloodBlood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....
fat, when consumed in high quantity. Corn syrup belongs to a family of added sugarand is added in Dragon’s Beard Candy to act as a sweetener to enhance the flavor. However, when consuming large quantities of corn syrup, it adds extra calories to one's diet and can lead to an increase in weight, which may further contribute to both obesity
Obesity
Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems...
and cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular disease
Heart disease or cardiovascular disease are the class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels . While the term technically refers to any disease that affects the cardiovascular system , it is usually used to refer to those related to atherosclerosis...
. In order to avoid the above disease, the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
recommends not to intake more than 10% of added sugar in one's diet per day. The American Heart Association
American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a non-profit organization in the United States that fosters appropriate cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability and deaths caused by cardiovascular disease and stroke. It is headquartered in Dallas, Texas...
also recommends women and men should not take more than 100 and 150 calories of added sugar each day.
Comparison to Western Cotton Candy
Both cotton candy and Dragon’s Beard Candy are made of sugar and share the characteristic of notable stickiness and a high sensitivity to moistureMoisture
Humidity is the amount of moisture the air can hold before it rains. Moisture refers to the presence of a liquid, especially water, often in trace amounts...
. Both substances will clump together when exposed to the air for a certain amount of time. However, cotton candy has a larger surface area, thus allowing a small amount of sugar to generate into a greater volume of product. Its serving on each stick is 37 grams, including food dyes and flavor, containing around 110 calories per serving. While Dragon’s Beard Candy contain a lower content of sugar (7.2 grams), it contains a slightly higher caloric content of 141.2, as well as a higher fat content (6.1 grams), compared to Western-style cotton candy, typically containing 0g of fat.
Comparison Table
Presentation
It is common for street vendors of Dragon's Beard Candy to carry out the folding process involved in preparation of the confection at their stall, which can attract customers fascinated by the process as much as by a desire to purchase the candy. However, customers can purchase Dragon’s Beard Candy through online stores.See also
- Cotton candyCotton candyCotton candy , candy floss or candyfloss or candy buttox , or fairy floss is a form of spun sugar. Since cotton candy is mostly air, a small initial quantity of sugar generates a tremendously greater final volume, causing servings to be physically large and voluminous...
- Deuk Deuk TongDeuk Deuk TongDeuk Deuk Tong or commonly referred to as Ding Ding Tong is a type of traditional candy in Hong Kong. It is a hard maltose candy with sesame and ginger flavours. The sweet is made by first melting maltose, then adding to it various ingredients and continuously stirring the mixture...
- White Rabbit Creamy CandyWhite Rabbit Creamy CandyWhite Rabbit Creamy Candy is a brand of candy manufactured by Shanghai Guan Sheng Yuan Food, Ltd. in The People's Republic of China.- Background :...
- PişmaniyePismaniyePişmaniye or pishmaniye is a Turkish sweet in fine strands made by blending flour roasted in butter into pulled sugar. It is sometimes garnished with ground pistachio nuts...
- PashmakPashmakPashmak is a form of Persian candy floss / cotton candy, made from sesame and sugar. A common myth is that Pashmak is made with ant saliva, although this is not true...
- Orange jelly candyOrange jelly candyOrange Jelly Candy are finger-sized sticks of soft jelly candy generally sold in food specialty stores in Hong Kong. A great deal of candy available in Hong Kong are imported from Europe, mainland China, United States and other regions around the world...