Enjoying some simple candy is one of the easiest ways to get a hit of sugary goodness, and to enjoy some sweet sensations whenever the craving hits.
Candy takes on all kinds of different shapes and sizes all across the world, with each nation having its own set of unique candies that local people of all ages enjoy indulging in.
This is also the case for Chinese candy, which is totally distinct from much of the candy we know and love here in the West. This makes trying Chinese candy an absolute treat.
And many people worldwide love to seek it out to try it for themselves. But with so many different Chinese candies available on the market, how are you supposed to choose just a few?
Well, you’ve come to the right place, because we are going to take a look at 28 of the very best Chinese candies that you can try out right now. So, read on below to find out what they are!
Quick Answer: Some of the best Chinese candies include things such as Hawthorn flakes, plum candies, jelly cups, zao tang, zongzi, dragon’s beard candies, and delightful baked goods like pineapple bread.
But that’s not all! Want to discover some of China’s other amazing candies? Make sure to read on down below to find out a little bit more!
1. Hawthorn Flakes And Candies
Hawthorn flakes and other Hawthorn candies are made entirely from the fruits of the Hawthorn tree, a family of trees that grows natively in China. The fruits of these trees have a very tart taste and a delightful sweetness, making them absolutely perfect for candy.
Hawthorn flakes take full advantage of these delightful and varied flavors, as they condense the flavor down into small and pale discs of sweet flavor that are often packaged in small stacks.
They are also packaged in containers reminiscent of Chinese fireworks, a great reflection of the tangy and sharp flavor of the flakes within!
These snacks are incredibly easy to eat, and make for a great sugary hit whenever you are craving something sweet, but with a little extra citrus kick! They also leave a perfect aftertaste in your mouth so your sugar cravings will be satisfied for ages after you enjoy them!
2. Chinese Plum Candy
Chinese Plum candies are actually surprisingly simple. They don’t often contain any extravagant ingredients.
They are actually made by simply preserving Chinese plums, by keeping them pickled in a combination of various ingredients that help to imbue them with flavor and fill them with antioxidants and other goodies.
They are then dried, before being packaged, so that they can last a long time, to make them perfect for snacking, and for satisfying sudden cravings.
However, the unique taste of Chinese plum candies makes them something of a love/hate snack. Some people adore the unique taste of the snack, while others despise the taste.
Chinese plum candies have a combination of sourness, sweetness, as well as saltiness. This makes them an acquired taste.
Luckily, not only can they prove to be quite delicious, but they are also highly beneficial to health, and many people consume them for their antioxidant qualities, and their ability to help curb nausea.
3. Lychee Candy
Lychee is one of the most unique fruits across the world and is renowned for its awesome taste that is incredibly sweet and soft and has plenty of amazing floral notes that spread throughout your mouth.
Thus, it stands to reason that candies made up of Lychee flavorings would be similarly delicious and easy to eat.
Lychee candies come in a variety of forms, such as hard or soft forms, and each one makes sure to utilize the immense flavor of the beloved fruit.
If you want to experience one of the world’s best but often underrated fruits, then you have to try out some Lychee candies! Luckily, they are also quite easy to get your hands on, and they can be purchased online!
4. QQ Gummies
QQ Gummies may look very similar to some of the gummy candies you’ve already experienced, but trust us when we say that these are even better! QQ gummies come in all sorts of fruity flavors, making them a perfect treat to try, no matter what your favorite fruits may be.
Love the taste of apples? Try out the apple candies! Love Strawberries? Make sure to try out the strawberry candies! There’s something for absolutely everyone.
What makes QQ gummies truly fantastic is their texture. They feel much softer than many gummies you may find here in the West, and that makes them so delightful to chew on.
5. Peen Tong
Peen Tong can essentially be described as brown sugar candy and is often sold in a brick form. Peen Tong is incredibly easy to eat, and instantly delicious, thanks to its usage of brown sugar.
Brown sugar is naturally more healthy than ordinary white sugar, as these candies make use of the sugar in its purest form, meaning you don’t have to feel bad about enjoying its sweetness!
Peen Tong can be enjoyed as a snack, or also as an ingredient in countless other dishes, by dissolving it, and allowing the sweet flavors to be released into things such as broths and other delightful foods!
6. Chun Guang Classic Coconut Candy
Coconut is one of the most recognizable food products in the world, and yet, there are few better ways to experience it than through Chun Guang’s delicious range of coconut candies.
Each candy piece is individually wrapped, making them super easy to enjoy whenever you crave something sweet. The candy itself has a delightful caramel-brown color that makes it look just as good as it tastes.
The second that you place one of these candies into your mouth, delightful flavors will explode through your mouth. First, you will get a sugary hit from the outer coating, before the distinct taste of coconut is then released in all its glory!
The Chun Guang brand of coconut candies is definitely one of the best in China, and is one of the best ways to get a hit of coconut whenever you want it!
7. Jelly Cups
This is one of the most unique candies that China specializes in. These delightful little candies have a unique jelly texture that melts in your mouth, filling it with fruity flavor in no time at all.
These are often sold in large packages that contain multiple individual cups of distinct flavors, so you can choose the perfect one for your tastes. This also makes them easy to share amongst family and friends, so that you can enjoy them together.
8. Dragon’s Beard Candy
This is one of China’s most traditional candy products and has been produced for many generations. The easiest way to describe dragon’s beard candy is to compare it to cotton candy.
The candy was first invented during the Han Dynasty when a chef found that stretching dough into thin strands created a confection reminiscent of a dragon’s beard!
The candy is still made in the traditional manner and often sold out of small food trucks and vendors, where you can watch the candy being made before your eyes.
The candy itself is wrapped around a filling that is made up of different things. Some are made up of crushed peanuts, while others are made up of nougat, sesame seeds, or coconut. This gives them a delightful texture.
However, because they can be difficult to make, and because they can melt so quickly, you can likely only experience them by visiting a specialized vendor. If you ever take a trip to China, make sure not to miss out on Dragon’s Beard candy!
9. Dove Chocolate
Dove is easily the biggest chocolate confection brand in China, with millions of candy bars selling across the nation every single day. It’s not entirely difficult to see why!
Dove chocolate is incredibly rich and creamy, and it is designed to melt away quickly on your tongue, filling your mouth with decadent chocolate notes that will have your tastebuds dancing in delight in no time at all.
The chocolatey flavor is also complemented by hints of a distinct cherry flavor and a slight smokiness.
Dove is big business in China, so if you ever visit, you should make a point of trying it out, to see the nation’s favorite chocolate, and to see what makes it so incredible.
10. White Rabbit Candy
This is another one of China’s most popular confectionery goods and is one that has been enjoyed by multiple generations, and multiple people across the world.
The candies have a unique milky flavor that is indescribably rich and creamy, and it quickly spreads across your mouth as soon as you chow down on one of the candies.
The texture of the candies is also relatively firm, but it soon softens within your mouth, making it easy to chew on, to release all of that flavor. These candies have been in production since 1943, and have endured as one of the nation’s favorite candy snacks.
Try them out for yourself, and you’ll soon see why they are so massively popular.
11. Ting-Ting Jahe Ginger Candy
Ginger is one of the world’s greatest healing foods. Adding ginger to any dish, drink, or meal will instantly fill it with antioxidant properties, and will soothe the body all over!
However, sometimes you just want a quick and delightful hit of the ginger flavor we all know and love!
This is one of the best ginger candies available across the world, as it tastes so similar to fresh ginger, but comes in an easy-to-eat form that is plenty sweet, and makes for a great treat!
You can also add the candy to a cup of hot tea, to give it a spicy kick. But no matter what you do with the candy, its spicy warmth is sure to make you feel amazing.
12. Peanut And Sesame Brittle
The combination of peanut and sesame, along with a strong helping of sugar, creates one of the most delicious candy treats that are popular all across China!
This simple treat can be made in a number of ways and is enjoyed all across the nation. The simplicity is definitely its strongest asset, as the treat is made up of only a few ingredients, and yet takes full advantage of all of their inherent flavors and textures.
The texture of the candy is also how it gets its name. The candy falls apart in your mouth and cracks and crumbles as you bite into it. Thanks to being made up of sugar, the candy will also melt in your mouth, as soon as it hits your tongue!
Easily one of the best things about this candy is that you can even make it for yourself! Try out this recipe for yourself.
13. Botan Rice Candy
One of the things that helps to make Botan Rice Candy truly unique is that the wrapper around the candies is entirely edible! It feels a little bit strange the first time you eat one, almost like you are eating plastic, but it soon melts away and allows the flavor to spread across your mouth.
These candies, which have been in production for many years, have a great citrusy flavor that helps to make them exciting to bite into or suck on at any time.
However, they are definitely incredibly enjoyable during the summer months. As you’d expect, they are also made using rice flour, which is high in gluten, and plenty of sugar and water, to make them sweet on the tongue.
These affordable snacks are enjoyed by multiple generations of Chinese people, thanks to their chewy texture and simple citrusy taste!
14. Zao Tang
Zaotang is another one of China’s oldest confectionery goods. Zao Tang is well known for its crispy texture as you bite into each piece, as well as the incredibly fragrant taste that fills your mouth with sweet goodness, while also emanating sweet aromas right into your nose!
Zaotang also has a very interesting history, as it is actually placed within the kitchen as a sacrifice to the kitchen god every year! This occurs on the twelfth lunar month of the Chinese calendar, around the twenty-third day.
Zaotang is very difficult to make, and thus many people often buy them wholesale, ready for them to be offered as a sacrifice. The dry texture of the candy makes it easy to package and store!
15. Mooncakes
These delightful baked parcels of goodness are some of the best candies that China has ever created! The soft and crumbly texture of the outer cake makes mooncakes very satisfying to eat, and also means that they pair incredibly well with some fresh and fragrant tea.
The great thing about mooncakes is that each one is unique, in terms of its design, but also its filling. The outer cake is baked carefully to give each mooncake a delightful floral pattern, making each one taste incredibly fancy.
The fillings themselves, within the mooncakes can vary massively. Some contain creamy bean pastes, while others contain fruit preserves and jellies.
Either way, when you bite into a mooncake, you will very quickly be met with fruity goodness that practically explodes out of the pastry!
16. Candied Kumquats
The kumquat is a very unique and delicious fruit native to the Cantonese regions of China.
These small, citrusy, and orange-like fruits are known for bursting with flavor with every bite, and are also known for their rather tart and sour taste that makes every bite of the tiny little fruits a flavor experience, and a total delight.
The kumquat can also be easily candied, and coated with sugar to create small and sweet snacks and treats. Candied kumquats are just as bursting with flavor as standard kumquats, but the additional sweet taste helps to make them truly heavenly.
Candied kumquats are sold all across China, and are sold via numerous unique brands, so they are also very easy to get your hands on!
17. Koi Kei Bakery Peanut Candy
This snack is very similar to sesame and peanut brittle, but is distinct in that it is a little more chewy. Unlike brittle, you can easily place one of these satisfying candies into your mouth and slowly chew on it, releasing the nutty flavors of the ingredients.
As you chew, the sugar slowly becomes softer and softer, and it begins to melt in your mouth, making the treat very decadent.
These particular candies are incredible because they also contain shredded coconut, which helps to give it that one last extra kick to make it all the more exciting and exotic.
18. Meiqili’s Corn Candy
If you thought that one candy corn wasn’t enough, how about an entire corn cob made out of soft and sweet jelly!
These adorable corn-shaped sweets from Meiqili are sure to delight anyone, thanks to their cute and unique shape, as well as their soft texture.
However, be warned, because these candies are very sticky, and will not only fill your mouth with sweet flavor, but may also stick it together entirely!
Each corn is individually wrapped, so you can easily enjoy them as a quick snack when you are out and about, or when you just want something nice to chew on!
19. Zongzi
Though zongzi, also known as sticky rice dumplings, may often be made with savory flavors, it can also be made as a sweet dish, and can be stuffed with amazingly fresh and fragrant sweet ingredients.
This unique treat is made by wrapping up glutinous and sticky rice in bamboo leaves and then steaming or boiling it.
Within the rice itself is a range of different fillings, with some being savory. However, easily some of the best zongzi are the sweet options, like lotus seed, red bean paste, and white sugar fillings.
Zongzi are incredibly traditional, and have been made for many years, making them a great food to try out if you ever visit China!
20. Hong Yuan Guava Candy
Guava is another of China’s favorite fruits, and some of the candies themed after the fruit are just as good. Easily the best guava themed candy in China is the Hong Yuan brand.
These candies come in individual wrappers, and each of the hard candies will fill your mouth with the fresh flavor of guava.
Never tried guava before? This could be a great place to start! These candies manage to capitalize on the unique taste of guava, which can be closely compared to a mix between a strawberry and a pear!
21. Dakeyi Pineapple Hard Candy
Want a quick taste of something exotic? Why not grab yourself a bag of delicious pineapple hard candy from the confectionery geniuses at Dakeyi?
These amazing hard candies make you feel like you’ve gone for a beachside holiday the second they touch your tongue, making them perfect for any intense cravings you may have, as well as for when you just want a little bit of quick excitement in your life!
To make it easier, the candies are also individually wrapped, so you can easily indulge yourself whenever the desire hits you!
22. Garden Luck Candy Strawberry
These aren’t just any strawberry flavored candies! These are truly amazing strawberry candies that taste just as good as the real thing.
If you are a strawberry lover, and you want a candy that can accurately capture the essence of the world-favorite fruit, then you simply have to try out this candy from Garden.
Each individually-wrapped candy piece is sure to give you exactly what you want, and fill your mouth with delicious and fragrant flavors.
The candies are also incredibly easy to consume, so you may find yourself going back for a few extra, as they are simply that good!
23. Longan Molasses Candy
We doubt that you could possibly find anything even half as sweet as these awesome molasses candies from Longan.
Each cube of these candies will melt away on your tongue, and leave a delightful sweetness in its wake. You will definitely have a hard time just enjoying one, and we can guarantee that you’ll be wanting more in no time at all!
These candies are also great because they are very natural, as they make use of sweet and sugary molasses, which is collected into soft cubes that will either crumble beneath your teeth, or slowly melt on your tongue!
24. Deuk Deuk Tong
Deuk Deuk Tong is a sweet treat that is made from Maltose, which is also commonly referred to as malt sugar. Maltose is well known for being incredibly sweet, and is a common ingredient in some of China’s favorite sweet dishes.
This candy is known for being quite crumbly and crunchy in the mouth, which makes it just as delightful to bite into as it is to taste.
And the taste of deuk deuk tong is made all the better thanks to its inclusion of sesame and ginger, both of which combine to give the candy a very creamy, but also quite fiery taste.
Some versions of deuk deuk tong are also combined with extra flavorings, such as coconut, chocolate, mango, and banana, which helps to make it very popular with younger people!
25. Lychee Milk Lollipops
The combination of lychee and milk is a lot better than you might actually expect! The intensely sweet taste of lychee perfectly complements the creaminess of milk, making these awesome lollipops that combine the flavors into one, something you have to try out.
The lollipops feature an awesome marbled design that look just as good as they taste. We were simply blown away by how good the combination of lychee and milk turned out to be, as well as how well these lollipops capitalized on the unique combination.
26. Wangzai Milky Candy
These milk-flavored candies are recognized all through China, thanks to their unique packaging that has a distinct red design. Within each parcel is a small and square milk-flavored gummy candy that you can chew on to release the creamy flavors kept inside.
If you want a true taste of China’s candy heritage, you definitely owe it to yourself to try these delicious milk candies. They are incredibly easy to eat, and taste simply amazing every time.
They are also easy to eat, thanks to being individually wrapped, so you can grab as many as you want, and eat them to your heart’s content!
27. HFC Crispy Candy
Ever enjoyed the filling of a Butterfinger? If you have, then you are definitely going to want to try this candy treat!
Within each bag of this candy is a selection of crispy sweets, each of which having its own unique set of flavors. This makes it a great treat to share with others! The flavors of the candies range from peanut, sesame, and coconut, to citrusy flavors like orange!
28. Pineapple Buns
Let’s finish up this list with another national favorite: the humble pineapple bun. These baked treats are deceptively simple, as they actually have some very complex and nuanced flavors.
The softness of the buns paired with the sharp tanginess of the pineapple flavor combine to create one of the most enduring sweet treats in China’s history.
You have to try these buns out for yourself if you ever get the chance. You won’t regret it!
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is The Most Popular Candy In China?
Easily one of the most popular candies sold in China is hawthorne flakes. These delightful, flat, and round treats are incredibly fruity, and will easily fill your mouth up with tangy flavor that is irresistible.
Do Asians Eat Candy?
Definitely. Asian people enjoy candy just as much as those in the Western world. However, they do not often eat candy or other sweet treats directly after a savory meal, like we do in the West.
What Candies Are Made In China?
Many of the most popular candies in China are actually also made in China, such as Hawthorn candies, plum candies, and kumquat candies.
This means that the confectionery industry in China is very stable and profitable. Many of the most popular candies in China today have been around for many generations.
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