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Workers make Gongtaihe-branded crunchy chestnut candies at a workshop. [Photo/cnjxol.com]

Gongtaihe-branded crunchy chestnut candy in Jiaxing has a history of 100 years, and in the past, it was common to see peddlers carrying a tin box to hawk Gongtaihe-branded crunchy chestnut candy.

In 2015, Gongtaihe-branded crunchy chestnut candy was listed as a Jiaxing intangible cultural heritage item.

Gongtaihe-branded crunchy chestnut candies. [Photo/cnjxol.com]

Making the crunchy chestnut candy requires not only physical strength, but also skill. It takes about half an hour to boil malt sugar into a red color while the sugar needs to be stirred with a shovel the whole time.

Next, the cold malt sugar needs to be pulled into a white color, sprayed with a layer of stir-fried starch, and wrapped with thick layers of stir-fried peanut powder. Then the mixture needs to be rolled into a bar, which is then cut into smaller pieces.

Packaged Gongtaihe-branded crunchy chestnut candies. [Photo/cnjxol.com]