Tanggua: The Sweet Sticky Treat for the Kitchen God

Tanggua is a highly sticky malt sugar made by cooking yellow millet with malt. It is flat and round, resembling a small melon, hence the name Tanggua, or "sugar melon". Tanggua is both a traditional Spring Festival food and an offering to the Kitchen God.

The technique of making malt sugar dates back to the early Western Zhou Dynasty. By the Tang Dynasty, malt sugar had become a must-have delicacy during the Spring Festival, alongside fine wine. By the Ming and Qing dynasties, it had become an offering used to "seal" the Kitchen God's mouth. 

According to legend, on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month, the Kitchen God returns to heaven to report to the Jade Emperor on the affairs of each household. Families therefore offer him Tanggua, hoping that its sweetness will prompt him to say only good things about them and bring sweetness and prosperity in the coming year. 

In the cold winter weather, Tanggua hardens and develops tiny air bubbles inside, giving it a crisp, sweet, fragrant and delicate texture.

Tanggua is rich in amino acids, vitamins, protein and digestive enzymes, providing a quick source of energy during the coldest month of the lunar year. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is believed to have medicinal properties, including moistening the lungs and relieving dryness, supporting the spleen and stomach, and replenishing qi. It can be used for conditions such as deficient lung function, chronic coughing and wheezing, qi deficiency and fatigue, as well as weakness of the spleen and stomach, shortness of breath and lack of strength. Tanggua is an affordable and nutritious winter snack that is not overly sweet and is easy to digest, making it a traditional alternative to other candies. 

The making of Tanggua involves more than a dozen steps. In 2009, its production technique was included in the second batch of Shandong Province's provincial-level intangible cultural heritage. In 2025, a sugar-making association was established, marking a new stage of organized and standardized development for the traditional craft.