Freeze-Dried Hawthorn Balls (Crataegus pinnatifida) — Hollow Shan Zha Fruit for Tea & Snacking

Freeze-Dried Hawthorn Balls (Crataegus pinnatifida) are the whole, hollowed fruit of a beloved traditional food herb known in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as Shān Zhā (山楂). Also called Hawthorn or Chinese Hawberry, Shan Zha has been prized for centuries as a sour, gently warming digestive herb used to rouse the appetite, move stagnant food, and support smooth digestion. Its nature is sour, sweet, and slightly warm, making it a friendly, food-like herb that fits easily into daily teas, soups, and snacks.

Key Selling Points

• Traditional food-herb fruit for digestion support
• Freeze-dried to preserve color, aroma, and nutrients
• Whole hollowed hawthorn balls, ready to eat or brew
• Sourced from Shandong, a classic hawthorn growing region
• New-crop stock, 500 g bulk pack

Quality & Sensory

Each batch is freeze-dried to preserve the fruit's deep ruby-red color, delicate crisp texture, and bright, tart aroma. The hollowed balls are light and airy, snapping cleanly when bitten. When steeped in hot water, they soften and release a vivid, mouth-puckering sourness with a gentle sweet finish, lending a lively character to teas and infusions.

Technical Specifications

Usage Scenarios

• Herbal tea and infusion blends
• Traditional soup and congee ingredient
• Ready-to-eat snack
• Digestive after-meal tea
• Seasonal food-therapy pairing

Traditional Uses

In folk herbal practice, Shan Zha is decocted into teas, soups, and congee to support digestion after rich meals. It is a classic ingredient in digestive blends, often paired with ingredients like tangerine peel, jujube, and rock sugar. As a daily tea, the freeze-dried balls are simply steeped in hot water for a bright, sour infusion, or added to slow-simmered broths to lend a gentle tartness.

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