Sugar-fried chestnuts

For this ever-popular autumn snack, chefs fry chestnuts (which are cut open) in an enormous wok filled with black sand and granulated sugar. When properly done, they're soft, sweet and extremely fragrant.

Sugar-coated haws (Candied haw/tang hu lu)

Sold by the stick, the dessert-to-go tastes great and looks greater -- bright red haws line up on a skewer in auspicious shapes, their sugary outer layers glimmering in the light.