Dragon Beard Candy

Yuan

5.0

How important is Dragon's Beard Candy on your Montreal itinerary? If your flight lands in YUL at 1:45pm, is there enough time to buy OPUS cards, ride 747 to downtown, drag luggages from bus stop to Chinatown, & run into this tiny store before it closes at 4:30pm?

This was no idle musing, but real calculations my daughter & I contended before we flew thousands of miles from SFO. This was the high expectations we had for Dragon's Beard Candy of Montreal. & Dragon's Beard Candy did not disappoint!

For several years, we were able to get dragon's beard candy from a San Francisco shop. But that store has closed for quite some time presumably because this product is labour intensive to make. We are super psyched that we can visit this shop in Montreal! This Montreal candy is also better suited to our taste in that it has a better mix of handpulled candy fibres with nutty ingredients so it is less sticky when you do not eat it right away. The shop owner told us that her candy can stay well for a month in a fridge.

If you come to Montreal, do as we do: go to Dragon's Beard Candy on the first opportunity! During our one week stay, we returned to the shop three more times. It is that good.

Justin

5.0

Walking through the heart of Montreal's Chinatown, I discovered a charming shop called Dragon's Beard Candy. My partner, who is from Hong Kong, first introduced me to this candy years ago, & she explained that it's rare because it's so labor-intensive to make. Seeing the chef pull & stretch the sugar into delicate, hair-like strands right in front of us was a real treat.

For those unfamiliar, Dragon's Beard Candy starts with cooled sugar that's repeatedly stretched in cornstarch until it forms fine, thread-like fibers-resembling a dragon's beard. Once the strands are ready, a mixture of nuts & coconut is wrapped inside to create little cubes. I got a pack of six, which costs $6 CAD, & they were absolutely delicious.

The chef was friendly, speaking fluent French, English, & Cantonese, & he shared his story & how he learned this craft. He even took time to explain the process, which made the experience extra special.

If you're in Montreal's Chinatown & haven't tried this candy, I highly recommend stopping by. The shop is right on the main pedestrian street, & they also accept credit cards, making it an easy & unforgettable treat.