{{Short description|Chinese sweets made with hawthorn fruit}} {{Infobox food | name = Haw flakes | image = Hawflakes.jpg | image_size = 250px | caption = A packaged stack of haw flakes and an individual haw flake | alternate_name = shānzhā bǐng, shānzhā piàn | country = China | region = | creator = | course = | type = Confectionery | served = | main_ingredient = Chinese hawthorn fruit, sugar | variations = | calories = | other = }} {{Infobox Chinese | t = 山楂餠 | s = 山楂饼 | p = shānzhā bǐng | bpmf = ㄕㄢ ㄓㄚ ㄅㄧㄥˇ | gr = shanja biing | w = {{Tonesup|shan1 cha1 ping3}} | j = {{Tonesup|saan1 zaa1 beng2}} | poj = san-cha-piáⁿ or sian-cha-piáⁿ | t2 = {{linktext|山楂|片}} | s2 = {{linktext|山楂|片}} | p2 = shānzhā piàn }}

'''Haw flakes''' ({{zh|t=山楂餠|p=shānzhā bǐng}} or {{zh|t=山楂片|p=shānzhā piàn}}) are Chinese sweets made from the fruit of the Chinese hawthorn.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Fegan |first=MacKenzie Chung |date=2020-04-02 |title=Haw Flakes Are the Childhood Snack I Still Crave |url=https://www.bonappetit.com/story/haw-flakes |access-date=2023-12-14 |website=Bon Appétit |language=en-US}}</ref> They are a light or dark pink candy, usually formed into discs two millimeters thick. They are dry and sometimes crumbly in texture.<ref>{{cite web |last=Jung |first=Susan |date=2012-09-12 |title=Snack attack: goodness flakes |url=https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1097994/snack-attack-goodness-flakes |website=South China Morning Post |location=Hong Kong |url-status=live |url-access=registration |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180609103430/https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1097994/snack-attack-goodness-flakes |archive-date=2018-06-09 |access-date=2026-03-09 |quote=Depending on the freshness of the sour-sweet flakes, they were either dry and firm but slightly pliable, or dry, hard and crumbly. }}</ref> They are most commonly packaged in cylindrical stacks with label art resembling Chinese fireworks. The sweet and tangy snack is usually served to guests along with tea or as a treat for children.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tastecooking.com/the-enduring-appeal-of-haw-flakes/ |title=The Enduring Appeal Of Haw Flakes |first1=Cathy |last1=Erway |website=tastecooking.com |date=2024-07-22 |accessdate=2024-07-27}}</ref> They are sometimes eaten alongside bitter Chinese herbal medicine to aid digestion.<ref name=":0"/>

==Variety== thumb|200px|A variant on the typical packaging|alt=

Gourmet haw flakes are also available at specialty Chinese markets in the West. Gourmet haw flakes tend to be larger than the regular Shandong haw flakes; gourmet haw flakes are about 35–40&nbsp;mm in diameter, whereas Shandong haw flakes are about 25&nbsp;mm in diameter).

Low-sugar and additive-free haw flakes aimed towards the health conscious are readily available in China, but less so in the West. They vary from pale beige to reddish brown in color.

==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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Enforcement Report for August 29, 2001 |url=https://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ENFORCE/2001/ENF00708.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070613081904/https://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ENFORCE/2001/ENF00708.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date=2007-06-13 |access-date=2007-07-02 |work=FDA Enforcement Report |publisher=United States Food and Drug Administration}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Enforcement Report for August 16, 2000 |url=https://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ENFORCE/ENF00655.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070611233525/https://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ENFORCE/ENF00655.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date=2007-06-11 |access-date=2007-07-02 |work=FDA Enforcement Report |publisher=United States Food and Drug Administration}}</ref> Ponceau 4R is used in Europe, Asia and Australia but is not approved by the US FDA.

Currently, certain brands of haw flakes contain Allura Red AC (FD& C #40) as the red coloring. In Europe, Allura Red AC is not recommended for consumption by children. The food coloring was previously banned in Denmark, Belgium, France and Switzerland, but is now approved in the whole EU as food additive E 129.

==See also== *List of Chinese desserts *Tanghulu {{snd}} Traditional Chinese snack consisting of skewers of glazed fruit *White Rabbit (candy) {{snd}} Popular Chinese brand of milk candy *Sugar painting {{snd}} Chinese snack where sugar is drizzled into edible shapes

==References== {{Reflist}}

==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]

{{Hong Kong cuisine}} {{Shandong topics}}

Category:Hong Kong cuisine Category:Shandong cuisine Category:Chinese confectionery