View source for Dragon's beard candy

{{Short description|Chinese candy}}
[[File:Ovomaltine dragon's beard candy.jpg|thumb|Dragon's beard candy]]
{{Chinese|t=龍鬚糖|s=龙须糖|p=lóng xū táng|l=dragon beard candy|j=lung4 sou1 tong4*2|t2=銀絲糖|s2=银丝糖|p2=yín sī táng||j2=ngan4 si1 tong4*2|l2=silver silk candy|t3=龍鬚酥|s3=龙须酥|p3=lóng xū sū|l3=dragon whiskers pastry}}
'''Dragon's beard candy''' ({{lang-zh|t=龍鬚糖|s=龙须糖|p=lóng xū táng|first=t}}) or '''Chinese cotton candy''' or '''Longxusu''' ({{lang-zh|t=龍鬚酥|s=龙须酥|p=lóng xū sū}}) is a handmade traditional Chinese confectionary similar to [[halva#Floss halva|floss halva]] or Western [[cotton candy]]. Dragon's beard candy was initially created in China, but was soon popularized in other parts of [[East Asia]] and [[South East Asia]]. It became a regional delicacy in [[South Korea]] in the 1990s, [[Singapore]] in the 1980s, then in [[Canada]] and the [[United States]].

It has a low [[sugar]] content (19%) and low [[saturated fat]] content (2%).<ref name="Dragon Hair Candy or Dragon Beard Candy">{{Cite web|url=https://www.food.com/recipe/dragon-hair-candy-or-dragon-beard-candy-84453|title=Dragon Hair Candy or Dragon Beard Candy|website=www.food.com}}{{better source|date=October 2016}}<!--- Clearly not a reliable source: "I can't remember exactly where I got this from (the web) and have not tried it ..." --></ref> By comparison, [[cotton candy]] is fat free with a very high [[sugar]] content (94%).<ref name="How many calories in cotton candy">{{Cite web|url=https://www.calorieking.com/us/en/foods/f/calories-in-candy-cotton-candy/NffdsgAeT2O_94qIRvgEzg|title=Calories in Cotton Candy &#124; CalorieKing|website=www.calorieking.com}}</ref> Dragon's beard candy has a very short [[shelf life]]. It is highly sensitive to moisture<ref name="Crispy dragon beard candy">{{Cite web|url=http://www.yuzumura.com/pc-12-2-bamboo-garden-icy-crispy-dragon-beard-candy.aspx|title=YuzuMura.com: Bamboo Garden Icy-Crispy Dragon Beard Candy|website=www.yuzumura.com}}</ref> and tends to melt in warm temperatures.

==History==
According to legend, dragon's beard candy was invented during the Chinese [[Han dynasty]]<ref name="Dragon's Beard candy">Ng Yan Yan. URL accessed on April 14, 2009.</ref> by an imperial court chef who entertained the [[emperor]] one day by performing the complicated steps in making a new confection, which involved stretching a dough-like mixture composed from [[rice flour]] into small, thin strands. These strands reminded the emperor of a dragon's beard, and were sticky enough to adhere to one's face easily, so the concoction was named. The name may also be attributed to the status of the mythical [[dragon]] as a symbol of the Chinese emperor,<ref name="The importance of Chinese Dragon">{{cite web |author1=Chris |title=The importance of the Chinese Dragon |url=http://www.chinesedragon.org/the-importance-of-the-chinese-dragon.html |website= www.chinesedragon.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171013172446/http://www.chinesedragon.org/the-importance-of-the-chinese-dragon.html |archive-date=2017-10-13}}</ref> so presenting the confection as Dragon's Beard Candy was deemed acceptable due to the social nature of the candy. It was reserved only for the [[ruling class]] due to the complexity of the preparation process. Nevertheless, the art has resurfaced in tourist destinations such as street festivals.

==Preparation==
[[File:Dragon beard candy.jpg|thumb|Dragon's beard candy being made]]
Traditionally, it is made from sugar and [[maltose|maltose syrup]], although recipes based on [[corn syrup]] are now used in the United States. The main ingredients<ref name="Dragon Hair Candy or Dragon Beard Candy" /> include approximately 75&nbsp;grams of fine white sugar, 75&nbsp;grams of [[peanut]]s, 75&nbsp;grams of [[food drying|desiccated]] [[coconut]], 38&nbsp;grams of white [[sesame]] seeds, 150&nbsp;grams of maltose syrup, and 1 bowl of glutinous rice flour.

==Comparison to cotton candy==
Both cotton candy and dragon's beard candy are made of sugar and share the characteristic of notable stickiness and a high sensitivity to [[moisture]]. Both substances will clump together when exposed to the air for a certain amount of time. However, cotton candy has a larger surface area, thus allowing a small amount of sugar to generate into a greater volume of product. Its serving on each stick is 37&nbsp;grams, including food dyes<ref name="Food dyes">{{Cite web|url=http://www.thealmightyguru.com/Pointless/FoodDye.html|title=The Shocking Truth about Food Dyes!|website=www.thealmightyguru.com}}</ref> and flavor, containing around 110 calories per serving.<ref name="Calories in cotton candy">{{Cite web|url=https://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/walmart-cotton-candy-10331846|title=Calorie Chart, Nutrition Facts, Calories in Food &#124; MyFitnessPal &#124; MyFitnessPal.com|website=www.myfitnesspal.com|access-date=2021-11-24|archive-date=2023-08-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230811202137/https://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/walmart-cotton-candy-10331846|url-status=dead}}</ref> While dragon's beard candy contains a lower content of sugar (7.2&nbsp;grams),<ref name="Calories in Yummy House Dragon Beard Candy. Full Nutrition Facts">{{Cite web|url=http://recipeofhealth.com/nutrition-calories/dragon-beard-candy-875809rb|title=Calories in Yummy House dragon beard candy. Get full nutrition info and recipes of health|website=RecipeOfHealth}}</ref> it contains a slightly higher caloric content of 141.2, and a higher fat content (6.1&nbsp;grams), compared to cotton candy, typically containing 0g of fat. This is due to the peanuts, sesame seeds, and other ingredients, whereas cotton candy is close to 100% sugars. The nutritional value of the wrapping alone is essentially identical to that of cotton candy.<ref name="Dragon Hair Candy or Dragon Beard Candy"/>

==See also==
*[[Cotton candy]]
**[[Kkultarae]] - a Korean variant
**[[Pashmak]] - a Persian variant
**[[Pişmaniye]] - a Turkish variant
**[[Sohan papdi]] - an Indian variant

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://tnp.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/makan/keeping-candy-crush-family About Asia's Dragon's Beard Candy Master] 
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070820034614/http://www.noodlesandrice.com/dragon-beard-candy/ Noodles And Rice: Dragon Beard Candy]
* [http://www.dragonbeardcandy.com.au DRAGON BEARD CANDY 龍鬚糖 ]
* [http://hknews.hksyu.edu/index.php/%E9%BE%8D%E9%AC%9A%E7%B3%96 Department of Journalism and Communication, Hong Kong Shue Yan University – 香港樹仁大學新聞與傳播學系] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210504023858/http://hknews.hksyu.edu/index.php/%E9%BE%8D%E9%AC%9A%E7%B3%96 |date=2021-05-04 }}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KMIJgtPDLE International News Report on Dragon Beard Candy]

[[Category:Candy]]
[[Category:Chinese confectionery]]
[[Category:Pulled candy]]