Chatang (Millet Porridge Drink)

Chatang is a traditional Tianjin sweet: millet or sorghum flour is scalded with boiling water into a smooth paste, then dusted with brown and white sugar, candied fruit threads, sesame and osmanthus.

Named for the great dragon-spout copper kettle from which it is poured, chatang is the street sweet most beloved in Tianjin's autumn and winter.

Spooned up while hot, it is silky and gently sweet, neither sticking to the bowl nor cloying the mouth — a warming treat in the cold season.

The theatrical high pour from the dragon-spout kettle and the fine, apricot-gold paste are chatang's most distinctive traits.