Dried Hawthorn Slices (Shan Zha) — 100 g

Bright fruit character. Pleasant tartness. A classic Chinese dried fruit for the everyday pantry.

Discover Dried Hawthorn Slices (Shan Zha / 山楂), a traditional Chinese dried fruit ingredient with a lively, pleasantly tart character.

Cut into convenient slices, the fruit reveals its naturally red outer peel and pale golden interior, creating a distinctive circular appearance that is easy to recognize and portion.

Each container includes 100 g / 3.53 oz of dried hawthorn slices for exploring fruit infusions, traditional-inspired drinks, ingredient pairings and suitable culinary recipes.

Why You’ll Appreciate Them

• Real dried hawthorn fruit — sliced rather than powdered or premixed

• Bright tart character — fruity, lively and pleasantly tart

• Convenient sliced format — easy to identify, handle and portion

• Naturally distinctive appearance — red-edged slices with pale golden fruit flesh

• Versatile preparation — suitable for fruit infusions, pairings, simmered preparations and recipes

• Practical 100 g size — an approachable addition to a traditional Chinese pantry

Product at a Glance

• Product: Dried Hawthorn Slices

• Chinese name: 山楂

• Pinyin: Shan Zha

• Ingredient type: Dried fruit

• Format: Dried fruit slices

• Net weight: 100 g / 3.53 oz

• Appearance: Red-edged circular slices with pale golden fruit flesh

• Flavour: Bright · Fruity · Pleasantly tart · Mellow

• Packaging: Storage container

• Preparation: Fruit infusions · Traditional-inspired drinks · Pairings · Simmered preparations · Culinary recipes

• Tea leaves: Contains no Camellia sinensis tea leaves

• Best for: Tea lovers · Home cooks · Dried-fruit enthusiasts · Bright fruit flavours · Traditional ingredient discovery

Natural dried hawthorn may vary slightly in size, shape, thickness, colour and flavour between batches.

What Is Shan Zha / 山楂?

Shan Zha / 山楂 is the Chinese name commonly used for hawthorn fruit within Chinese culinary and botanical traditions.

In this product, the fruit is dried and cut crosswise into characteristic circular or ring-like slices.

You may encounter several related names:

Shan Zha · 山楂 · Hawthorn · Dried Hawthorn Slices

Here, they refer to the same dried, sliced hawthorn fruit ingredient.

Hawthorn is a fruit rather than a conventional tea leaf, making it part of the broader world of Chinese dried fruits and traditional pantry ingredients.

Taste & Character

Dried hawthorn offers a distinctly fruit-forward profile:

Bright · Fruity · Pleasantly Tart · Mellow

Its natural tartness is more noticeable than the gently sweet character of dried fruits such as red goji or mulberry.

At the same time, its character differs from the deeper, more pronounced tartness associated with Wu Mei.

For someone who prefers lively fruit flavours over strongly sweet preparations, Shan Zha offers a distinctive ingredient to explore.

How to Enjoy

Dried hawthorn slices can move easily between fruit-based drinks and the kitchen.

Depending on the product directions or recipe, they may be explored through:

Fruit Infusions

Use dried hawthorn slices in appropriate fruit-based water preparations according to the product-specific directions.

Traditional-Inspired Drinks

Their bright tart character makes Shan Zha an interesting ingredient for suitable fruit drinks and gently simmered preparations.

Tea & Botanical Pairings

Hawthorn may be explored alongside compatible teas, dried fruits and botanical ingredients when following an appropriate recipe.

Culinary Recipes

Depending on the recipe, dried hawthorn may also be incorporated into suitable food preparations.

Always follow the product-specific preparation directions on the packaging or an appropriate recipe intended for dried hawthorn.

Pair Hawthorn with Other Ingredients

Hawthorn's lively tartness creates an interesting contrast with milder or sweeter ingredients.

Hawthorn + Red Goji

Bright tartness + gentle fruit sweetness

Red goji offers a softer, gently sweet fruit character alongside hawthorn's livelier profile.

Hawthorn + Jujube

Tart fruit + mellow dried-fruit character

Jujube provides a rounder dried-fruit contrast to Shan Zha.

Hawthorn + Floral Tea

Floral aromas can provide an aromatic counterpoint to hawthorn's natural tartness in suitable preparations.

Hawthorn + Black Tea

A fuller tea base offers another way to explore hawthorn's bright fruit character.

Different ingredients require different preparation methods, so follow guidance appropriate to the specific combination.

Hawthorn vs. Red Goji

	Hawthorn / Shan Zha	Red Goji
Chinese Name	山楂	红枸杞
Format	Circular dried slices	Whole dried berries
Appearance	Red peel with pale interior	Bright red-orange
Flavour	Bright and pleasantly tart	Mild and gently sweet
Character	Lively fruit profile	Mellow fruit profile

If you prefer brighter, more tart fruit flavours, hawthorn offers a noticeably different experience from the gentler sweetness of red goji.

Hawthorn vs. Wu Mei

	Hawthorn / Shan Zha	Wu Mei
Chinese Name	山楂	乌梅
Format	Dried fruit slices	Whole dried fruit
Appearance	Red-edged, pale-centred	Dark and deeply wrinkled
Tart Character	Bright and lively	Deeper and more pronounced
Overall Experience	Lighter fruit profile	Bolder, darker fruit profile

Hawthorn is an approachable choice for someone looking for a brighter, lighter tart-fruit character, while Wu Mei offers a deeper and more assertive experience.

A Bright Addition to the Pantry

Dried hawthorn fits naturally into a pantry built around Chinese dried fruits, loose-leaf tea and botanical ingredients.

Explore it alongside:

Red Goji · Jujube · Mulberry · Wu Mei · Citrus · Dried Flowers · Loose-Leaf Tea

Its red-edged circular slices provide visual contrast beside whole berries and darker dried fruits, while its lively tartness fills a different flavour role from sweeter pantry ingredients.

Storage & Care

Keep the container securely closed in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight, moisture, excessive humidity and strong odours.

Always use clean, dry utensils when handling the slices and reseal the container promptly after use.

Refer to the product packaging for best-before information and any additional storage or preparation instructions.

Product Guidance

Dried hawthorn is a fruit ingredient intended for appropriate beverage and culinary preparations.

If you take medication, have a medical condition, have allergies or dietary concerns, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are unsure whether hawthorn is appropriate for you, consult a qualified healthcare professional before use.

Always follow the directions and warnings provided on the final product packaging.

This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Shan Zha?

Shan Zha / 山楂 is the Chinese name commonly used for hawthorn fruit.

This product presents hawthorn in dried, sliced form.

How much dried hawthorn is included?

Each container contains 100 g / 3.53 oz of dried hawthorn slices.

Are these whole hawthorn fruits?

No. The hawthorn fruit has been dried and cut into convenient circular or ring-like slices.

What do dried hawthorn slices taste like?

They generally have a bright, fruity and pleasantly tart character with a mellow finish.

Are dried hawthorn slices sweet or tart?

Hawthorn is better known for its pleasantly tart fruit character than pronounced sweetness.

What do hawthorn slices look like?

They typically have naturally red outer peel with pale golden-to-cream fruit flesh and a circular or ring-like shape.

Is hawthorn a fruit?

Yes. Hawthorn is a fruit ingredient. This product presents the fruit in dried, sliced form.

Is hawthorn tea?

No.

Hawthorn is a fruit rather than leaves from Camellia sinensis. When prepared in water, it is more accurately described as a fruit or botanical infusion rather than conventional tea.

How do I use dried hawthorn slices?

Depending on the product directions or recipe, dried hawthorn may be used in fruit infusions, traditional-inspired drinks, botanical combinations, simmered preparations and culinary recipes.

Can hawthorn be paired with red goji?

Yes, in suitable recipes.

Hawthorn's bright tartness creates a natural contrast with the milder, gently sweet character of red goji.

Is hawthorn the same as Wu Mei?

No.

Hawthorn / Shan Zha and Wu Mei are different dried fruits. Hawthorn has a brighter tart character and sliced appearance, while Wu Mei is darker, usually whole and has a deeper tart profile.

Who are dried hawthorn slices best for?

They are especially suited to tea lovers, home cooks, dried-fruit enthusiasts and people who enjoy bright, pleasantly tart fruit flavours or want to explore traditional Chinese pantry ingredients.

Bring a Brighter Fruit Character Home

Red-edged fruit slices. Lively tartness. Everyday versatility.

Explore Shan Zha in a simple fruit preparation, pair its bright character with compatible ingredients, or add it to a pantry built around Chinese dried fruits and traditional ingredients.

Add Dried Hawthorn Slices (Shan Zha) — 100 g to your pantry and discover its distinctive tart fruit character.

Bring Eastern Living Home.