Saladitos are plums or apricots, which are dried, salted and which can also be sweetened with sugar and anise or coated in chili and lime. A common misconception is that saladitos and chamoy are the same thing; saladitos are the dried salted fruit, whereas chamoy is made from the leftover brine.[1]
Saladitos, which are considered a candy in Mexico, are said to have originated in China in the development of li hing mui (also known as cracked seed).[2] The exact history is unknown.
For Mexicans and some Asians, one of the methods of eating saladitos is to stuff a few of them into an orange or lemon and then suck the salted juice out, while allowing the saladito to rehydrate. Once all the juice is eaten, the saladitos are eaten. The pits can be cracked open to eat the seed, too. Another method is to eat the saladito without any other fruit, and either cracking open the pit to eat the seed or discarding the pit. One can also first rinse the saladito with water, and then eat it plain.
On some occasions, to spice up drinks, a few saladitos are put into drinks like Micheladas,[3] Sprite, ginger ale or beer. Once the saladito is placed in the soda, bubbles will begin to rise immediately. In Taiwan, a popular plum drink is made by soaking several saladitos in a pitcher of water until the plum rehydrates and flavors the water. There is also a mezcal cocktail that shares the name saladito.[4]
In Australia, saladitos are known as "salty plums"[5] and come in a variety of different textures, with some being more salty and some being sweeter. In the northern part of Australia, Northern Territory, Western Australia borders and Queensland they are very popular. Some of the main ingredients are salt, sugar, food colouring and plums.
In Trinidad, Tobago and in some english-speaking Caribbean islands, this treat is referred to as salted prunes.
A recall notice was issued in the United States in 2009 by the Texas Department of State Health Services, when saladitos believed to have been sourced from Asia were found to have levels of lead exceeding health guidelines.[6] In 2021–2022, the California Department of Public Health issued a recall warning on eight brands of saladitos manufactured in China and Taiwan, also found to have levels of lead exceeding health guidelines.[7]
