Is everyone trying glass fruit? When made correctly, this is a sweet, cute treat, but our collective obsession with instant gratification makes many things more dangerous.
In this case, glass fruit is a specialty from China, where it’s known as tanghulu. The ‘glass’ is a coating of hardened sugar that crunches when bitten into, and it’s going viral on TikTok as users recognize that it scores a social media bingo: it’s a recipe; it can be made quickly enough to show in a short-form video; it is gorgeous when done; and the crunch is definitely on the ASMR radar.
The problem? Kids are making it without the requisite tools, experience, and caution.
Tanghulu Videos Get Lots Of Love
In the video below, a woman uses strawberries, sugar, and a hot stove to make a dish as sweet to look at as it is to taste. At various points in the video, you’ll notice some important factors: the boiling sugar mixture bubbling in the pan, the stove burner, and the long-handled wooden spoon.
These will be familiar elements if you’ve ever experimented with candy making. Typically, candy recipes involve a double boiler to avoid scorching the sugar, a candy thermometer because the correct temperature is important, and many safety warnings in bold print because the temperatures in question can be very high. You’ll need to bring your sugar mixture to 300 degrees Fahrenheit for glass fruit.
If you know what to look for, you’ll recognize that this TikToker is making her candy with caution. If you miss these key elements, you might overlook important safety points.
Young Viewers & Those Without Experience In Candy Kitchens
According to Exploding Topics, about a quarter of TikTok’s users say they’re between the ages of 10 and 19, and that’s when we take them at their word. Most younger users won’t have the experience to know just how serious burns from boiling sugar can be, and they’re typically watching alone or with peers, not with supervision.
Unlike recipe books, most of these TikToks don’t provide these warnings, and if candy thermometers are used on camera, there may not be emphasis on how important they are to the success and safety of making candy at home.
The Dangerous Modifications TikTokers Are Making
Shout out to the generation that grew up using the microwave to prepare food when their parents were at work or busy. We learned a lot by trial and error — like that you shouldn’t put tin foil in the microwave and can use it to boil water instead of putting it on the stovetop. Some of us even learned about hotspots in that boiled water because microwaves don’t heat evenly.
Unfortunately, some TikTok users promote the idea that a microwave is a great shortcut for making tanghulu. Really, who can resist having it ready to eat in just five minutes, as these videos boast?
The problem is that introducing the microwave into the equation makes the recipe both more tempting to younger viewers and more risky.
Doctors At Shriners Children’s Hospital Issue Sever Burn Warning
Doctors say that there are serious burn risks, especially when a kid tries to use the microwave shortcut. Shriner’s Children’s in Boston released a statement warning parents to be aware. Dr. Colleen Ryan, MD, says they’ve seen an uptick in burns related to the recipe. She said:
“When sugar is melted in the microwave like this, it has a high heat capacity, meaning it stores the heat energy…If spilled, it can create a severe scald burn, much like spilling hot soup, but it can cause a much deeper burn because of sugar’s properties. Kids or teens can quickly grab the pot or bowl and the hot fluid splashes, spills or splatters over them. The result is one or several small but very deep burns, often in critical areas such as the hand or the face.”
She says that many of the burns treated at Shriners are the result of children preparing hot foods. She’s not asking that kids be forbidden to cook, but she wants parents to be aware of dangers, and to teach their kids safety rules.
Can We Make Tanghulu & Other Candies Safely?
If you want to make candy with your child, you should know the safety rules.
Kids not experienced in cooking safety should not make treats like tanghulu without supervision. Both adults and children should use extra caution when heating sugar, and ensure the container is appropriate. A double boiler or other pot on the stovetop is always the safest for making candy.
When heating anything in a microwave, remember that even if a container says it’s microwave-safe, it may not be sufficient for boiling sugar or other super-hot liquids. Another TikTok shows one user’s experience when they tried to heat sugar in a mug—the container actually broke into two pieces, with molten sugar pouring out.
Fortunately, that incident happened while the mug was still in the microwave, not as someone tried to grab it. Other commenters describe worse incidents, including a mug exploding in the microwave, a fire alarm being set off, and in one case, a busted bowl and burns.
So yes, try tanghulu — but the person making it should have experience in candy making, and should use proper precautions. Don’t use a microwave, and don’t allow a child to make it unsupervised unless and until they’re experienced in safety rules (and even then, use cautious judgment in allowing it).
