Li hing mui

File:Taiwanese Li hing powder.jpg

Li hing mui powder is made of ground plum skin that has previously been pickled in a combination of licorice, red food coloring, salt, sugar, and occasionally aspartame and or saccharine. It can be used as a flavoring, usually sprinkled on candy and other fruits, notably pineapples, mangoes, guavas and apples. Li hing mui powder can be found in Hawaii, where local children like to put it on shave ice, sour candy, rock candy, popcorn, fruit, and arare.{{Cite web |title=The History Of Li Hing Mui |url=http://www.marinahawaiivacations.com/blog/honolulu-dining/the-history-of-li-hing-mui.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180104073325/http://www.marinahawaiivacations.com/blog/honolulu-dining/the-history-of-li-hing-mui.aspx |archive-date=January 4, 2018 |access-date=September 11, 2022}}

Recently, people have also been putting li hing powder into their alcoholic drinks—mainly tequila and cocktails.{{cite web |last1=Lucariello |first1=Chandra |title=Crack-seed cocktails conjure childhood memories |url=https://www.staradvertiser.com/2017/09/26/food/spirited-conversations/crack-seed-cocktails-conjure-childhood-memories/ |website=Honolulu Star-Advertiser |access-date=8 November 2023 |date=27 September 2017}}{{cite web |last1=Dingeman |first1=Robbie |title=Drinking Local: Finding a Hawai'i Twist for National Tequila Day |url=https://www.honolulumagazine.com/drinking-local-finding-a-hawaii-twist-for-national-tequila-day/ |website=Honolulu Magazine |access-date=8 November 2023 |date=24 July 2019}} Many bars in Hawaii replace salt with this powder, since this powder is not only salty, but sweet and sour as well. Other people also feel that it gives a tart and tangy twist. Many bars in Hawaii also rim their glasses with li hing powder in addition to putting it in the drink.

Besides li hing powder, the whole li hing mui (red plum seed) is added directly to a bottle of tequila, filling the bottle at least half way with the plum seeds. After a few weeks, the li hing plums will impart its reddish color and flavor to the tequila, fully transferring their flavor to the drink.

Note that li hing powder is used on different plum varieties, and it comes in different colors. The "red" powder is popular on fruits and assorted red plum varieties. A "white" powder version is more commonly used on dried/dehydrated plums.

In China, huamei are often found in bottles of rice wine, like olives in a martini.

File:Japanese Mei.JPG

File:Dried Japanese plums, sour (left) and sweet (right).jpg

Li hung mui is also found in Korea and Japan.

Li hung mui was introduced to Japan from China through Okinawa, and was simply called Hoshiume (干し梅, dried plum). Its import, however, was stopped soon, as cyclamate was found being used. As the dried plum using candyleaf was developed in 1981 by such confectionaries as Uema Confectionary in Okinawa,[https://www.amaume.co.jp/search/ List of products at Uema Confectionary (上間菓子店)] in Japanese it has become popular among the Japanese. It is now found in the local supermarkets in Japan.

{{Main|Kiamoy}}

Li hing mui were introduced to the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period by Chinese Filipino immigrants. They are known in Filipino as kiamoy (spelled ciamoy in Philippine Spanish). The name is derived from Philippine Hokkien {{zh|c=鹹梅|s=|t=|p=|poj=kiâm-muî|l=salted plum}}. The li hing mui powder mixture (anise, licorice, salt, sugar, and powdered plum seeds) was also introduced and is sold separately as kiam-muy-hoon (or simply "kiamoy powder", Hokkien {{zh|c=鹹梅粉|s=|t=|p=|poj=kiâm-muî hún|l=salted plum powder}}). The powder is used as an ingredient in cooking, as coating for the dish kiamoy chicken, or as dips for fruits like pomelo and unripe or pickled mango. A locally developed variant of kiamoy is known as champóy which uses the native berry Myrica rubra (also locally known as champóy).{{cite book |last1=Polistico |first1=Edgie |title=Philippine Food, Cooking, & Dining Dictionary |date=2017 |publisher=Anvil Publishing, Inc. |isbn=9786214200870}}{{cite news |title=Kiamoy: What Exactly Is Kiamoy? (A Filipino Street Food) |url=https://philnews.ph/2020/03/28/kiamoy-what-exactly-is-kiamoy-a-filipino-street-food/ |access-date=November 2, 2021 |work=Philippine News |date=March 28, 2020}}

{{Main|Crack seed}}

Li hing mui was introduced to the Polynesian islands of Hawaii, Tahiti and Samoa in the late 19th century by Chinese labourers working in the plantations.{{cite web | url=https://onolicioushawaii.com/li-hing-mui/ | title=Li Hing Mui, A Hawaii Obsession | date=24 July 2019 }} It is typically eaten in powdered form, sprinkled over fruits such as mango or ambarella and other desserts. It is known locally as {{lang|en-US|crack seed}} in Hawaii, {{lang|sm|Simoi}} in the Samoan islands and {{lang|fr-PF|bonbon chinois}} in French Polynesia.

Li hing mui achieved popularity in Hawaii by Yee Sheong, who in early 1900 began importing li hing mui and various other preserved fruits, from China to Hawaii. Yee thus started the li hing mui craze, which flourished with the company he founded, Yick Lung. Li hing mui can be found in Hawaiian and Asian markets.{{Cite web|url=http://www.tastinghawaii.com/2012/12/li-hing-mui-traveling-plum.html|title=Li Hing Mui... "The Traveling Plum"|first=James|last=Temple}}

In the 70s, a popular gift for Hawaiian kids were the Yick Lung crack seed leis.

{{Main|Saladitos|Chamoy (Sauce)}}

Li hing mui (as ciamoy) were introduced to Mexico by Filipino migrants via the Manila Galleons (1565 to 1815). These developed into the Mexican treat saladitos and the chamoy sauce derived from it.{{cite web |last1=Tellez |first1=Lesley |title=The Spicy, Sour, Ruby-Red Appeal of Chamoy |url=https://tastecooking.com/spicy-sour-ruby-red-appeal-chamoy/ |website=Taste |date=May 29, 2019 |access-date=November 1, 2021}}{{cite web |title=Chamoy |url=https://masaamerica.food.blog/2021/06/17/chamoy/ |website=Masa Americana |date=June 17, 2021 |access-date=November 1, 2021}}

{{portal|Food}}

• Umeboshi
• Chanh muối
• List of dried foods

{{Reflist}}

Category:Chinese fruit

Category:Dried fruit

Category:Hawaiian cuisine

Category:Plum dishes

Category:Chinese cuisine

Category:Japanese cuisine

Category:Korean cuisine

Category:French Polynesian cuisine

Category:Samoan cuisine

Category:Polynesian Chinese cuisine