Shanzhagao (Chinese: 山楂糕, Pinyin: shānzhāgāo) or hawthorn cake is a Chinese snack food made from the Chinese hawthorn, Crataegus pinnatifida. Shanzhagao is red in color and has a gummy texture. It is typically cut into cubes.
The red dessert is usually made by cooking hawthorn berries and blending or pounding them into a paste. The paste is then cooked again and placed in a dish to set into a gelatin-like state. [1] [2] Sugar is also typically added during the paste stage. [3] [4]
Chinese hawthorn berries have been believed to benefit health in Chinese traditional medicine since the Tang dynasty. [5] It is particularly believed to benefit the heart and digestive system. [6] [7]
Shanzhagao (Chinese: 山楂糕, Pinyin: shānzhāgāo) or hawthorn cake is a Chinese snack food made from the Chinese hawthorn, Crataegus pinnatifida. Shanzhagao is red in color and has a gummy texture. It is typically cut into cubes.
The red dessert is usually made by cooking hawthorn berries and blending or pounding them into a paste. The paste is then cooked again and placed in a dish to set into a gelatin-like state. [1] [2] Sugar is also typically added during the paste stage. [3] [4]
Chinese hawthorn berries have been believed to benefit health in Chinese traditional medicine since the Tang dynasty. [5] It is particularly believed to benefit the heart and digestive system. [6] [7]