"Don't Bring It In"... How Long Will the 'Sticky' Tanghulu Stay Popular?

"A Temporary Fad Like the Giant Castella"

How long will the popularity of Tanghulu last?

Tanghulu, a dessert made by coating fruit with sugar and corn syrup.
[Image source=Getty Images]

Tanghulu, a Chinese street snack that has recently gained huge popularity, has practically taken over the streets. It is a dessert made by coating fruit with sugar and starch syrup and drying it, and it is especially popular among the younger generation.

Tanghulu shops located in commercial areas with elementary, middle, and high schools see a constant flow of students.

Its online popularity is also significant. According to the keyword analysis site SomeTrend on August 23, the search volume for "making Tanghulu" online increased by 6632% compared to the same period last year, from the 21st of last month to the 20th of this month. Popular related content on YouTube includes videos with over 8 million views.

Tanghulu Trash
[Photo by Online Community Archive]

Some people recall desserts like the German-style "Schneeballen," the "King Castella," and "Honeycomb Ice Cream," which once gained popularity but then disappeared. These desserts once caused a sensation but quietly vanished.

Could the Tanghulu craze be different? Wangga Tanghulu, operated by the famous Tanghulu franchise Dalkom Nara Alice, announced that it will start a "Mystery Shopper System" upon surpassing 400 stores. The plan is to randomly select about 100 stores nationwide to comprehensively assess hygiene, quality, and waste disposal.

Tanghulu discarded anywhere
[Photo by Jaeyoungupja Online Community 'Apeunikka Sajangida' capture]

Some critics suggest that this move is due to complaints and inconveniences related to Tanghulu. Issues include the disposal of the sharp skewers used for Tanghulu and the littering of skewers everywhere, which makes the streets dirty.

Complaints have also arisen about insects being attracted to spilled sugar syrup while eating Tanghulu and sticky shoe soles. In particular, nearby merchants have expressed frustration over indoor floors becoming sticky from Tanghulu syrup, making cleanup troublesome. Eventually, "No Tanghulu Zones" emerged, banning customers from bringing Tanghulu inside.

Notanghuru Zone
[Photo by Self-Employed Online Community 'Apeunikka Sajangida' Capture]

In fact, many posts appeared on the online community "Because It Hurts, I'm a Boss" in August from self-employed business owners saying things like, "A Tanghulu shop opened in the same building, but customers who don’t clean up properly are causing me a lot of stress," "The floor in our store is sticky because of Tanghulu. Syrup is dripping everywhere," and "Customers bring Tanghulu into the store, spill syrup, and stick skewers anywhere, which is very annoying."

The reason why people say Tanghulu must respond to negative perceptions if it wants to avoid following the path of once-trendy desserts like King Castella and Honeycomb Ice Cream is clear.

Some netizens who identified themselves as Tanghulu shop owners emphasized their efforts, saying, "We regularly clean the neighborhood to avoid causing trouble to other business owners as much as possible."