Dried Plums: Candy for Salt Addicts

Published on Wednesday, April 22, 2009, by Sarah Perry / Edit Post

Dried, salted plums have a tart, almost excruciatingly salty flavor that you really have to grow up with to love, says akq. “It’s an acquired taste, usually acquired in childhood.” “They’re for salt addicts; and I think you have to have gotten started on them early in life,” says Sam Fujisaka.

The intense flavor can be diluted into other dishes. Salty sour plum powder is a particularly versatile cooking weapon. “In Hawaii, li hing powder has been ‘hot’ for years now—it’s added to all kinds of things, including cocktails!” says akq, who also likes li hing vinaigrette. “In Taiwan, one of the things you see a lot is food carts selling cherry tomatoes stuffed with a piece of black salted plum which is of the wetter, sweeter variety,” says huaqiao.

Board Link: Wherefore salted plums?

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  • My mouth is watering just reading this & thinking about those salted plums. Sam Fujisaka has it right when he says "I think you have to have gotten started on them early in life".
    I was born in the most northern tropical city of Australia, Darwin, in 1964. As a kid I had many Chinese friends & of course it was they who introduced me to one of the loves of my life, the salted plum. There...+READ

    My mouth is watering just reading this & thinking about those salted plums. Sam Fujisaka has it right when he says "I think you have to have gotten started on them early in life".
    I was born in the most northern tropical city of Australia, Darwin, in 1964. As a kid I had many Chinese friends & of course it was they who introduced me to one of the loves of my life, the salted plum. There are a lot out there & sadly, there are a lot of really shit ones, but when you find the good ones.....aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!
    The best brand I have ever tasted (& believe me, i've tried hundreds) was made by a company called the Hing Ah Co (or Hing Ah Company) from Hong Kong. They came in a beautifully decorated maroon coloured cardboard box with a picture of a chinese lady in a garden & man they were orgasmic. The perfect balance of salt, sugar & liquorice. I haven't been able to find these for decades now, though I believe the company still exists - i'd give my left nut for a few packets right now! This company also made another delicious delicacy called Lemon Juice Ginger - yummo! I wish I could speak Chinese so i could call them up as I still believe the company exists & I really want some of their wares. Cheers, John-COLLAPSE