Teochew Candied Sweet Potatoes
A traditional Teochew dessert, golden sweet potatoes coated in glossy syrup, soft and sweet, not cloying, a refined ending to a banquet.
Ingredients
6 items- Sweet potatoes 500 g
- White sugar 200 g
- Lard or vegetable oil 50 g
- Water 100 ml
- Salt a pinch
- Orange zest or dried osmanthus a little
Nutrition
Steps （7 steps）
Peel sweet potatoes and cut into 2-3 cm chunks. Soak in water for 10 minutes to remove starch, then drain.
Heat a pan over medium heat, add lard, reduce to low heat. When oil is warm, add sweet potatoes and gently fry for 5 minutes until lightly golden; remove.
Leave a little oil in the pan, add sugar and 100 ml water. Heat over low heat until sugar dissolves, then increase to medium and cook until syrup forms big bubbles (about 116°C).
Add the fried sweet potatoes, gently toss to coat with syrup. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes.
Continue simmering for 5 minutes until syrup is thick enough to coat a spoon and sweet potatoes become translucent. They should be easily pierced with a chopstick.
Add salt and osmanthus or orange zest, mix well, and cook for 1 more minute to release aroma. Turn off heat.
Transfer to a plate and let cool slightly; the syrup will form a thin glaze. Serve warm or cold.
Tips
Control heat when simmering the syrup to avoid burning; slow-frying sweet potatoes first helps them keep shape; adding salt at the end enhances sweetness complexity.
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