Haw flakes

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A roll of haw flakes and a haw flake

The new Haw Flakes packaging

Haw flakes (Chinese: 山楂饼; pinyin: shānzhā bǐng) are Chinese sweets made from the fruit of the Chinese hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida, genus Crataegus). The dark pink candy is packaged using twenty-two one millimeter-thick candy discs and sold in packs of ten. They are well-known in China, and can be found in major American cities without difficulty. They are also frequently given away after a consultation with a traditional Chinese doctor.

By far the largest seller of haw flakes is the Shandong Foodstuffs Import & Export Corporation of Qingdao, Shandong, China.

Gourmet haw flakes are also available at specialty Chinese markets. Gourmet haw flakes tend to be larger than the Shandong haw flakes (gourmet haw flakes are about the size of a silver dollar whereas the Shandong haw flakes are about the size of a quarter). They also tend to be more chewy than crispy and have a more vibrant flavor.

Haw flakes have been seized on several occasions by the United States Food and Drug Administration for containing Ponceau 4R (E124, Acid Red 18), an unapproved artificial coloring.[1][2][3][4]