Shanzhagao (Chinese: 山楂糕, Pinyin: shānzhāgāo) or hawthorn cake is a Chinese snack food made from the Chinese hawthorn, Crataegus pinnatifida. Shanzhagao is red in color and has a gummy texture. It is typically cut into cubes.
The red dessert is usually made by cooking hawthorn berries and blending or pounding them into a paste. The paste is then cooked again and placed in a dish to set into a gelatin-like state.[1][2] Sugar is also typically added during the paste stage.[3][4]
Chinese hawthorn berries have been believed to benefit health in Chinese traditional medicine since the Tang dynasty.[5] It is particularly believed to benefit the heart and digestive system.[6][7]
