Guorenzhang

Guorenzhang is said to have begun in the Daoguang reign of the Qing dynasty, when the Zhang family made a living roasting and candying peanuts, walnuts and melon seeds, passing the trade down through generations into one of Tianjin's best-known nut brands.

Guorenzhang is known for nuts in many flavours — amber, osmanthus, milky and more — glossy, sweet and crunchy, long enjoyed as a Tianjin tea-time snack and gift.

Its craft turns on selecting good kernels and judging the heat precisely; the nuts are roasted, glazed with sugar and seasoned, yielding the layered flavours for which the brand is prized.