A new international dessert chain is making its way to Metro Vancouver, and it’s all about tanghulu.
We recently spotted signage for XISHI at Burnaby’s Crystal Mall, marking the brand’s first North American location.
XISHI is a Chinese tanghulu and yogurt dessert chain with over 300 stores worldwide, including locations in Spain and South Korea.
The brand first launched in Shijiazhuang in 2003 and claims to sell more than 250 million tanghulu skewers a year.
For those unfamiliar, tanghulu is a traditional Chinese street snack that dates back to the Song Dynasty in northern China.
It features skewered fruits — historically hawthorn berries — dipped in a glossy sugar glaze that hardens into a crunchy shell.
The result is a sweet-and-tart bite that’s crisp on the outside and juicy inside.
XISHI has built its success on fresh fruit tanghulu and has also modernized the classic street snack with bite-sized mini versions.
Instead of just the usual long skewers, they also offer smaller sticks with just two or three pieces of fruit, making them easier to eat on the go.
The chain also serves yogurt ice cream cubes layered in cups, with signage at Crystal Mall highlighting flavours like yellow peach and Oreo.
Based on their Chinese social media, stores abroad also rotate seasonal flavours such as strawberry, dragon fruit, and watermelon.
So far, no official social media profiles have been launched for XISHI in North America, and further details about the Burnaby opening date remain under wraps.
Still, their arrival adds to the growing list of international food brands landing in Metro Vancouver, joining names like Läderach, Yang’s Dumpling, and Molly Tea.
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Address: Unit 1822 Crystal Mall, Burnaby BC