Ink Institute - Tanghulu

Ink Institute Tanghulu - ink drop

Tanghulu is a spring 2021 limited edition from Ink Institute. The brand is associated with Juspirit stationery store in Taipei, where you can find several exclusives from other interesting brands, as well. The site is very much worth a look. Tanghulu is named for a traditional street snack in northern China and Taiwan. The candied fruit skewers typically have a distinctive red color. This ink matches that color very well.

Ink Institute Tanghulu - gorgeous range of colors!

This is a gorgeous ink! It’s a beautifully rich, yet bright, dark cardinal red. There’s a subtle, orange undertone glow, that you can feel, almost more than see. This is a nice shading ink, with light areas contrasting darks to add depth and movement. There’s also a slight halo on premium papers. The splatter shows a very unusual light bronze sheen surrounding areas of pooling. I really like the visuals of this ink.

Ink Institute Tanghulu - such a rich red ink!

This is also a fantastic writing ink! It’s just the right balance of wet and dry, and it flows beautifully on the page. Strokes were sharp, with no feather or bleed on any of the six test papers I used. Drying was 15-20 seconds on most premiums (Rhodia was 25-30), and 5 seconds on office copy.

Ink Institute Tanghulu - nice dark areas

I really like this ink! In a wet pen on coated paper, it really is my ideal writing consistency. The color jumps off the page, but it’s easy on the reader, as well. This has become one of my favorite reds! Remember, it’s a limited edition, so don’t hesitate, if you’re interested!

Ink Institute Tanghulu - ink swatch card!