US Candy Makers React To Taiwanese Candy Making
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 14. 05. 2024
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đ Timestamps
00:00 Taiwanese candy making
12:52 Japanese candy making
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the original videos:
âą Taiwanese Handmade Candy
âą How Japanese Candy Art...
Steve, who has been making candy for 40+ years and Cooper, who has been making candy every day for over a year react to how a Taiwanese candy maker and Japanese candy maker make their candy.
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Hercules Candy has been on Steveâs side of the family since 1910(ish). When he took over in the 70âs, he anticipated after 10 years of hard work, he could move the business out of the basement and into a real storefront. Unfortunately, it took until 2018 for that to happen, but hey at least it happened! Steve and Terry own the shop, Craig (the social media manager) is their son, Cara (wrapper and shipper extraordinaire who is poised to take over the shop one day) is their daughter and Leah (who doesnât love being on camera and is very elusive) is their oldest daughter. Karen has been working for Hercules Candy since the twins (Craig and Cara) were about 6 months old and everybody else is a new recruit. Donât forget to subscribe and hit the đ for more videos!
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As a Taiwanese subscriber since the basement days I feel surreal watching this vid lol The first pulled candy was indeed flavorless cause it's called çœçł (white sugar) è„ (green onion - for its shape I suppose). There is another traditional pulled candy using maltose called éŸéŹçł (dragon beard candy) with filling inside, the texture is pretty different, though.
You should tell the Hercules crew where to buy it from, so they can try it.
@@debbreed547 I honestly donât know where to point tođ Such treats are usually sold by street vendors or at traditional markets - I doubt any of them would offer overseas shipping
I love watching videos of dragon beard candies. There's something satisfying to see it turn from a hard honey to a soft looking candy. I wish to try it once.
@@victoria0723 Indeed, candy really really doesn't like shipping overseas, what with the high humidity air - they'd be better off checking their nearby "Chinatown" for a vendor that imported the method.
That's really interesting to learn, thanks Victoria!
You know hes a pro because he's wearing sandles when working with hot sugar. I think he added baking soda, its like sponge candy texture, he added such a small amount and theres little water so the carbonation would evaporate out and leave behind air pockets.
đ
It was salt. The person filming him asks him if he added salt and he confirms it.
đ at the sandles comment
0:19 on the poster, it stated that the air pockets were created just by the pulling actions. Each time the candy was folded, air was trapped between the folds, and the pulling made the air pocket form into a hollow tube.
*Sandals* (take it from a Norwegian, I know, LOL!) âșïžđ€ Would be interesting to find out what, if anything, he really added! Crazy with those tunnels of air⊠I wouldâve wanted some fruity flavor too, like orange, lemon or even raspberry⊠YUM! OMG, now I wrote myself into really wanting something sweet⊠đâșïžđ€
I was in Taiwan this summer and got to see this exact candy being made in person. Not only was it so neat to watch but also so tasty! The texture of the candy is very light and delicate! In my experience, the store I went to sold it in the original plain sugar flavor and strawberry. So good.
Yet you still don't tell us what it is called. đ
@@LogiForce86 Candy.
Itâs called white sugar green onion bc itâs made of plain sugar but shaped like green onion (scallion).
The starch used in the Japanese candy is most likely not corn starch. Traditional starches in Japan are either tuber or rice based. Since the video mentioned glutonous starch syrup at one point, it is most likely a starch made of glutonous rice as the base.
makes sense!
@@HerculesCandy It's starch from glutinous rice if you want to try! :)
I bet that makes it a lil different? Hmm could be interesting to compare the two.
Kudzu root starch is one possible ingredient
Yes its glutinous rice usually, and a soy flour so it doesnât stick
This was fun.. I appreciate how supportive and positive this was.
Absolutely! We love seeing how candy makers from around the world make very different candies!
One of my earliest memories was pulling toffee in my parents laundry room with my grandmother. I couldnât have been older than five or six. She waited for it cool a little and we pulled opposite from one another. She kept asking me if it was too hot I just kept pulling. Iâm 67 thanks for the memories. I love your channel and the love you have for your craft. Thanks
The fact that they know dancing bacons đđ it's such a great channel. Glad to see they're getting more recognition
Iâm taiwanese and these are the airiest most light and crunchy candy, my childhood favorite!!! Our food policies are similar to japan, weâre very strict so his hands would be very clean. You guys should do a video trying out different candy making techniques or TikTok videos of candy making
I think they are concerned with gloves because they work with sugar that is hot enough to burn skin, not because of cleanliness
Yeah it was more of a "how is he not burning himself!?" kind of thing lol
Very strict would be requiring gloves.
Taiwan is really not that clean and nowhere near the hygiene requirements of japan. Requirements arenât âmake sure your hands are clean when you massage candy with your bare handsâđ itâs mandatory gloves and clean cooking tools and environment.
@@modelcitizen1977 Simply wrong. Do you genuinely think gloves are the pinnacle of kitchen cleanliness?
These guys are so humble. The fact that both of them were amazed by the Taiwanese pulled candy technique speaks volumes how they're truly invested in it.
"All that work just to put it in coffee? You might as well get sugar."
Hahaha! That cracked me up.đ
Always happy to get the notification! It's nice to see the guys sitting down. Watching and reacting to other candy makers is a cool idea
I think it's so cool to see their reactions because it's so different!
This was a great video! Love the reaction and comments Steve and Cooper had watching these artist do their candy.
Remember, heâs working in 95 degree weather with nearly equal amount of humidity (I just moved back to the US from living in Taiwan after 8 years). Pretty sure the humidity is a factor on the continual softness. :) Also, itâs typical for food to be prepped in a minimal food-safety manner than required in the US. Many times you see food being prepped- no gloves or other stuff. Many Americans would see their food being prepped and walk away. You get used to it. They do clean food and things, but itâs just different. I really canât explain. Pretty sure any vids can be found on CZcams. Nougat is a big deal there. I didnât see this particular candy, but it looks neat. Not super sweet. I wouldnât be surprised that itâs not actual sugar, but rather maltose or something. Also, their brown sugar isnât like ours- it doesnât clump. And, corn syrup isnât easy to find.
Bacteria don't like sugar, they die.
This was fun to watch :)
I'd love to see you guys reaction to dragons beard candy - the way they pull it is incredible.
I have so much respect for candy makers of any kind. When I did my pastry apprenticeship sugar day was always the hardist
Every time I see another candy video I always think to myself " Hercules candy does it a little different"
I say, "yeah, but it's not Hercules."
Haha well the cool thing is there's a ton of different ways to make very similar candies!
This was so fun! I would definately be interested in more reaction videos from the channel.
We could do that!
It got no flavor, just sweet candy. Super crunchy. The powder is most likely baking soda. If you ask any Taiwanese to make any candy. It's always cook candy syrup then add a spoon of soda. Another one we always make at home is melting brown sugar, add baking soda then drop the syrup into water to harden, and let that dry. very delish!
What a cool idea! I loved watching you guys make candy, but these reaction videos are pretty neat too! Thanks! :)
I really appreciate this video. Humble, respectful, willing to learn and improve. There will always be someone out there better than you and thatâs not a bad thing. Is an opportunity to grow!
Working with sugar reminds me of those teams that blow glass. It is a craft and an art. Much respect
From what I saw, when he was doing the three step pulling, he was folding it over creating the air pockets and the hollow core. I saw the Japanese Art one before I found you guys actually.
Hi, I just wanted to say that Iâm liking your new âReacts toâ themed episodes! Very on trend đđ»đđ» Cheers from Canada
not a video i would've looked for but a video i'm glad i clicked on. good job on the content guys!
This was another awesome video- definitely make more of these!! đđ€đđ«đŹđđïžđ·
I love this reaction series! Please keep them coming!
Yes I would like a series of these from different countries and not only hard candy, the enrober and when Steve makes chocolate by hand at the table.
Tamsui Old Street is one of the more decent tourist attractions of Taipei, the capital city of Taiwan. This is a local traditional specialty, don't forget to check it out if you are in town! Thanks for hosting Taiwan content, much love!
Yeah, I bought that candy in Tamsui Old Street
@@yohanawu7347 this place is gongming street in Tamsui
For those wondering, to find the fish/bunny/dragon suckers, it's ame-shin. They even make frogs!! It's crazy!
Itâs not the lack of gloves that freaked me out, it was the open toed sandals when he was sitting by the boiling pot đ€Łđđ€Ł
He must be an adrenaline junkie đ
@@HerculesCandy đ€Ł
After watching the Taiwanese video, the most interesting thing about the candymaker is the way he speaks. He switches between speaking Mandarin and Taiwanese, sometimes even switching back and forth in the same sentence.
When you speak multiple languages regularly they start to blend together. Part of my family is Greek and they love to mix Greek and English which confuses everyone else lol
@@aniquinstark4347 Oh, that's a very common phenomenon in immigrant groups. The thing that make this guy interesting is that he's clearly not an immigrant and not old enough to have either dialect as a second language.
A man of his age would have known both dialects for his entire life, in fact he would be part of the first generation in Taiwan that was educated in Mandarin, while living in a population that spoke both. The only other times I have seen someone switch back and forth between the two dialects in the same sentence are very limited scenarios. Like when you have an extremely elderly person that never really learned Mandarin well, since it was a minority dialect before 1949, or when dealing with someone who speaks primarily Mandarin but is speaking Taiwanese and switches because they don't know a word. In both those examples, the people are effectively immigrants when it comes to knowledge and comfort of one of the two dialects. However, this man speaks Taiwanese as his dominant dialect, you can tell by his accent when he uses Mandarin, though his knowledge of Mandarin should be perfectly fine since he was educated in it exclusively during his schooling.
Hokkien is the main language of Taiwan but a lot of people speak Mandarin too, and yeah it's pretty normal to hear both languages being spoken blended together in day to day conversation.
Mandarin is still the main language because 90% of people in Taiwan are ethnically Han Chinese from China. Hokkin is the âTaiwaneseâ that you hear, to differentiate between Mainland Chinese vs Taiwan Chinese.
@@aprisia it's actually really common, even with non immigrants. There's quite a lot of country where they have official language and local language. In those country most are bilingual, even when we didn't count english.
Candy makers are my favorite type of people. They can make you candy.
I think you two can do this! You guys are awesome!
To say thereâs no Quick Steve making đŹđđŹ, I love to watch him & staff in a more chilled time together⊠Thank You for a different video
đ€đŹđ€
I love the idea of you guys doing reaction videos, too!
In Sudan we have the exact same candy this man making, we call it sugar cane candy, cuz it tastes similar to sugar cane "obviously", some times we add food coloring to them pink and blue and some times orange, it gives them a really nice color. You're right Cooper, it's airy and crunchy and delicious
The candy featured as Japanese is actually also part of Chinese & Taiwanese culture. I remember when I was little visiting my dad in Taiwan I would collect different candy figurines just because they were so beautiful!
They used to have artists making them at LongSanShi Temple district in Taipei Taiwan (it's the oldest district in Taipei). I also used to find them at the Taipei Main Train station. Unfortunately I don't know if they still have them at either location.
Do the japanese even have anything that's not influenced by China
Itâs disappearing. Itâs called ç«çłïŒcandy drawing.
I don't know why this popped up on my youtube suggestion, but it's fun. And you got another subscriber! đ
This was amazing to see
Edit: what a great idea to see how others make candy at home! I made pulled sugar taffy ONCE at Christmas. I didn't enjoy it much as sugar is rather warm
taffy also requires even more pulling than hard candy!
Your candy looks so good I wish I had money to be able to taste it I've watched you guys for a little over 3 years and love your content keep it up
Thanks!
Thereâs a candy lady at the Japanese pavilion at Epcot, Disney World. She makes the sculpted candies based on guest request. I watched her for years before finally being able to get one of my own.
Iâd love to see you react to the candy canes they make for the holidays there.
My mom tells stories of making peanut brittle as a kid. They would coat their hands in butter to keep them from burning, but I guess it was still always a high adrenaline activity. đ€Ł
Lmao more like sauteed buttered fingers
You guys got lots to learn as candy maker. So much to see out there. Keep an open mind.
This candy looks so delicious! I wonder after years of pulling that candy if he has much feeling in his hands. Thatâs dedication and he is so chill to watch.
From Taiwan and love both your channel and this traditional candy. I always watch this process when I see someone doing it and surely buy some. I donât know the exact formula but seem like only white sugar and maybe maltose? And the essence to it is the master will seal the sugar along the length every time he fold it over as you can see his hand moves around 6:00. (Not in the first few rounds I guess.) So it will form numerous tube like structures in it. (hence the name sugar onion, or maybe you can compare it to spinach.) And the end product would be very airy and crisp, you could just bite into it with ease. And the short bits should just be byproduct at the turns since they won't be as crisp as the longer parts that keep straight in the process.
Great video, Iâd love to see them react to the 1950s film of candy makers making ârockâ in London - with no gloves!
I have all the confidence in the world that Cooper could match those skills!
With enough practice he can do anything!
This would make a cool series! Recreating candies from around the world both present and past
What she did by putting it in her coffee is similar to how Iranians use rock candy in their tea and coffee as well. There is also saffron rock candy here.
How have I never seen this when I've been in Taiwan for 8 years... absolutely love your content :) really awesome you're featuring other beautiful cultures and candy.
The crystal he's thinking of and can't remember the name of is selenite, a crystal form of gypsum. And, yeah, the raw crystals of selenite do look remarkably similar to that candy.
Someone has probably already said this but the crystal the Taiwanese candy resembles is a type of selenium called satin spar. And much like the candy, it is water soluble!
That was cool to see the interaction of a master candy maker and his young grasshopper Cooper (master to be). Commenting on another master candy maker. But Steve I'll take your Blue Collar candy (as you stated) any day over a mass candy company! When you want the best get the best! "Hercules Candy"
Thanks Ronnie!
My thoughts exactly. The thought that ran thru my mind as well is for them to visit said Chinese candy maker and interview and trade tips and background of why he folds the way he does. Like two masters of their confectionary craft sharing techniques.
I have wondered if you'd seen the hard shell chocolate process where they use airbrushing to line the molds with color before adding a thin sugar shell and then adding chocolate, and bringing the two halves together. There are some fascinating videos of that out there and I'm certain you guys would be great at it.
That is my fav! And they also use it in other desserts. It's like a super airy/fluffy honey comb.
"all that work just to put it into coffee?" đ words of a true artisan
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Interms of the surgar used, many candies in asia are made from malt sugar which is a moldable texture at room temperature (i dont know if its mixed with anything, i doubt its just maltose) so these pulled candies and blow candies are common
Really cool to hear the instinctual commentary of these two guys who worked with molten sugar their whole lives.
3:05 Connect a regular desktop monitor to the laptop via Displayport/HDMI/DVI/VGA. Then in the laptop monitor settings, set external monitor to duplicate settings.
This way you can see exactly what they're seeing, as they're seeing it.
That was amazing!
I been watching 4 years now loved every video since I started
It's fun, in some sort of a way, that in Italy there is one tipe of sweet candy that is pretty similar to the first one seen in this video, it's called Zuccaro and they only make it for December 8th and it's good af.
Lmfao that candy life edit was hilarious!
I'm an insomniac, so I often fall down the rabbit holes. It's how I found this channel in the first place, and I have seen the man making the animals before. As a past commission artist, I just love watching other talented people do their thing. Usually I sit here thinking 'That's amazing, I could do that', and then my brain nearly falls out of my head, whilst laughing, and reminding me of all the reasons that I can't. Like when I watch soap makers, and know I couldn't do that, because I can't walk past Lush without getting a Migraine đIt's a great thing to be able to admire talent, so great, it looks easy!
in Asia sugar isnt traditional put into tea or coffee so the fact the lady placed super light pirces of sugar in the form of candy was probably a rare treat.
Taiwan is one of the sugar producing countries so its not so rare. This is a cheap candy for. Kids found in general stores.
Love these reaction videos! Now, you need to find a CZcams candy maker in another country to come visit and exchange candy making techniques. After all, sugar unites the world! And coffee! ;) Seriously, that would be a great experience and great to watch!
Oh man, tang cong! These are great wrapped up in a crepe. Soft fluffy crepe, crunchy, slightly chewy candy... maybe a bit of crushed peanuts, maybe a bit of coriander as well... beautiful.
Dancingbacons is amazing I love watching the different foods from stores openings
The fish are so well done. They look real. Candy art. â€
I've had this in Malaysia; sold off of motorbike sidecar stalls. It comes in standard and ginger flavours, and the rustic feel is pleasant.
Yes, that was the Dancing Bacon lady. :) I enjoy watching their channel, too! :)
So cool to see Dancing Bacon on here. Two great tastes that taste great together! Thank you!
Just keep doing what you do!!!!!! đ
Steve please don't put your self down you are a AWESOME candy Maker
So happy to see DancingBacons videos being reacted to :D
Idk why it made me happy they know its Dancing Bacons â€ïž maybe the signature bunny cheeks đ i love both channels so much
I'm living for Coops shoulder laugh at 11:50 đ
Some of the candy he pulled is hollow! If you watch while she's cutting it you can see it's hollow how cool!
How about mocha watermelon! Flavor! Yum
Could this be isomelt sugar melt there's a sugar that the professional candy chef's use all you have to do is heat it. And you can sculpt it! Its amazing stuff!
14:40 They whip that out in 5 min, his reaction is hilarious đ€Łđ
In Vietnam they have pulled candy the same way but they'll add peanuts in it. They do sell this type of candy in the US, I find them at my local Asian supermarket. It's very airy but soooo good
I love DancingBacons vids! Theyre all kinda ASMR just like your candy making
Love the apronđ
I cut my finger recently and seeing the blade cutting technique gave me flash backs idc how skilled she is that thumbs days are numbered.
Why did i discover this Channel Just now? Instant sub....super interesting
The movement or pulling keeps it warm and flexible.
Y'all should watch them make Dragon Beard candy too! Its a totally different style of pulling candy
It might have been a flavor you saw him put in at the end before he started to cool the candy. Very interesting.
Basement day watcher love this reaction video!
Great video. I wonder if the guy in the first video had a product that was more taffy like. That can be pulled farther from the hook, I would think. Very interesting!
As a former Almond Roca candymaker I respect all of what you guys go through to bring us delicious treats to eat
We always added baking soda to peanut brittle to aerate it. Works perfectly.
After watching it a second time, I see how he makes the candy with hollow gaps down the pull. If you watch the last few LONG pulls, when he comes back to create the loop he is putting his hand between the two layers to make sure there is a gap. The he also forms a hole with his fingers and thumb and like guides the to last stretches into a tube as he runs his hand up and down the candy shaping to two last pulls into the tube. The he repeats a few more times. That's why there is only one big hole and several smaller holes running alongside the big one. Very unique!
Itâs a candy that is traditionally eaten for special occasions in Taiwan âŠweddings, birthdays, new yearsâŠ
That pulling technique with the wooden rods is almost the same way a taffy pulling machine works.
I bet that last spponful of powder he added to the molten sugar wasn't more sugar, but baking soda. It will fill the candy with air pockets like with honeycomb candy.
11:41 Steve hitting the nail on the head there đ
đ
we have this in Hong Kong too but we eat it with some powdered coconut and sesame wrapped in a soft and thin pancake (kinda like the same ones from Peking duck ïŒand we call it çłè„èé€ sugar leek pancake
Craig, the crystal you are thinking of is Selenite. I was thinking the same thing. It really does look like it.
After watching that candy art , cooper needs to up his game with coops critters lol,
I love watching Dancing Bacon! She makes me smile. Of course you all do too! Lol
My thing was how confidently he just picked up the boiling sugar in the pot and swung it around, through the doorway and into the pan, just the most casual thing in the world.
Also I think the room temperature and humidity there would make it alot easier to handle for as long as he did.
And the glass culpture looking stuff they mention in the video a starch of some kind and changing the recipe for eating immediately or later so it can keep pretty for longer.
besides plain sugar flavor, it sometimes come with crushed peanuts or crushed black sesame sprinkles too.