Haw flakes

Haw flakes are Chinese sweets made from the fruit (haw) of the Chinese hawthorn. The dark pink candy is packaged using twenty-two one millimeter-thick candy discs and sold in packs of ten. They are also frequently given away after a consultation with a traditional Chinese doctor.

History

Haw flakes are manufactured in China and are available in many parts of Asia. In Hong Kong they have been available since the 1970s. There has been virtually no change in the recipe or taste from the original version. By far the largest seller of haw flakes is the Shandong Foodstuffs Import & Export Corporation of Qingdao, Shandong, China. Exported packages are manufactured by the Qingzhou Jiahe Food Corporation company (青州市嘉禾食品有限公司). The snack is available in some Chinatowns.

Variety

Gourmet haw flakes are also available at specialty Chinese markets. Gourmet haw flakes tend to be larger than the Shandong haw flakes (gourmet haw flakes are about 35-40 mm in diameter whereas the Shandong haw flakes are about 25mm in diameter. They also tend to be more chewy than crispy and have a more vibrant flavor.)

Regulation

Haw flakes have been seized on several occasions by the United States Food and Drug Administration for containing Ponceau 4R (E124, Acid Red 18), an unapproved artificial coloring. [cite web
url= http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ENFORCE/2001/ENF00708.html
title= Enforcement Report for August 29, 2001
accessdate=2007-07-02
publisher=United States Food and Drug Administration
work= FDA Enforcement Report] [cite web
url= http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ENFORCE/ENF00655.html
title= Enforcement Report for August 16, 2000
accessdate=2007-07-02
publisher=United States Food and Drug Administration
work= FDA Enforcement Report]

ee also

*Tanghulu

References

External links

* [http://cardhouse.com/a/pixbarn/p19.htm Cardhouse.com - Package Design 19 (Haw Flakes)]
* [http://www.dgate.org/~brg/hawflakes.html Description of Haw Flakes]