Chopsticks was sick when we were on vacation this week, my in-laws snuck him out to see a Chinese doctor while I went to the bathroom. The Chinese doctor prescribed him some herbal tea, which I rejected, but he gave him Haw Flakes to go with the herbal tea! I have not seen Haw Flakes for a very long time. I used to eat them when I was a little kid, so this totally brought back memories. At dinner, all the cousins were talking about this little tube of snack, and each has a story to tell. When asked what made Haw Flakes, no one really knew, so we googled it right there and I would like to share with you.

Haw Flakes are Chinese sweets made from the fruit of the Chinese hawthorn. The dark pink candy is formed into discs one millimeter thick, packaged in rolls of seventeen discs, and sold in packs of ten rolls. Chinese people take the flakes with bitter Chinese herbal medicine. It actually serves a great portable fruit snack, and the taste is similar to cranberry or cranapple. Some Chinese people like to give Haw flakes to children before dinner, as they are believed to enhance their appetite. Some other people claim that Haw speeds up metabolism and aids in weight loss. Whatever the benefits could be, I consumed lots and tons of them when I was little, and they are still one of my favorite childhood snacks. Don’t forget to look for them next time you are in Chinatown, you should be able to find them in the grocery stores.