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1
Remove the stems and bottom calyx from each hawthorn berry. Thread 5–8 berries firmly onto each bamboo skewer, pressing them together so they form a single solid column. Lightly oil a flat, heatproof surface and set it nearby. The skewers are ready when the berries sit flush against one another with no gap.
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2
Combine 200 g white sugar and 100 ml water in a small saucepan. Heat over a moderate flame without stirring until the sugar fully dissolves. Raise the heat and cook rapidly, still without stirring, until the syrup reaches 150–160 °C (hard-crack stage). This is where the dish lives or dies: a drop of syrup lowered into cold water must form a rigid, brittle thread that snaps cleanly; the syrup in the pan should appear a very pale gold and show no bubbles. Any undercooking produces a sticky rather than glassy coat; any scorching renders the syrup bitter and unworkable.
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3
Remove the pan from the heat immediately. Working quickly, tilt the pan and dip each skewer fully into the syrup, rotating it to ensure complete, even coverage. Lift the skewer and rotate it briefly over the pan to allow excess syrup to fall away. Lay the coated skewer on the oiled surface. The glaze is set when it has hardened to a taut, glass-like shell that sounds a clean tap when touched with a fingernail — this takes 30–60 seconds.