Crispy Sugar-Coated Taro (Fansha Taro)
A classic Chaoshan dessert featuring crispy fried taro sticks coated with a snowy, crystalline sugar crust – sweet, crunchy, and utterly addictive.
Ingredients
5 items- Taro 300 g
- Granulated sugar 100 g
- Water 50 ml
- Vegetable oil as needed
- Chopped scallions 1 tbsp
Nutrition
Steps （8 steps）
Wash, peel and cut the taro into 1cm x 5cm sticks. Soak in water for 10 minutes to remove excess starch, then drain well.
Heat oil in a deep pan to 170°C (350°F) over medium heat. Fry taro sticks for about 5 minutes until lightly golden, stirring occasionally.
Increase heat to high and fry for another 1 minute until golden and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate.
In a clean pan, combine sugar and water. Heat over low flame, stirring until sugar dissolves completely. Continue to cook until syrup thickens and bubbles become fine.
When the syrup thickens enough to form a thread when drizzled (or hardens when dripped into cold water), immediately turn off the heat.
Quickly add the fried taro sticks and chopped scallions. Toss quickly to coat every piece evenly with syrup.
Keep tossing. The syrup will cool, turn white, and crystallize. Continue for about 2 minutes until a sandy sugar coating forms on all sticks.
Transfer to a serving plate. Let cool completely for the sugar crust to become crisp. Enjoy as a snack or dessert.
Tips
The key to perfect Fansha Taro is the syrup: cook it over low heat, test by dropping a bit into cold water – if it hardens instantly, it's ready. Add the fried taro immediately and toss continuously until the sugar crystallizes.
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