Li hing mui

Li hing mui is salty dried plum. It can be found in Hawaiian and Asian markets. It has a strong, distinctive flavor, and is often said to be an acquired taste for many. The li hing mui is said to be an acquired taste because it has the combination of sweet, sour, and salty taste. Some people also say that it tastes tart, and some even tangy. Originally from China, the name “Li Hing Mui” means “traveling plum”. “Li hing” is “traveling” and “mui” is “plum.” Li hing mui was brought to the Hawaiian Islands by Yee Sheong, an Asian immigrant. Li hing mui is good for dry and scratchy throats, as it will help you salivate.

Li Hing Powder

The red powder (the shade of red depends on the retailer), called li hing powder that covers the dried plum can be sold separately. Li hing powder is used for many things, but is mainly used to sprinkle different items, such as fruits like apples and pineapples. The keiki (children) of Hawaii also like to put li hing powder on almost everything, including sour gummy bears, sour gummy worms, sour watermelon, sour patch keiki (also known as sour patch kids), sour apple, rock candy, popcorn, and arare (also known as kakimochi and mochi crunch).

Li Hing Powder in Bars

Recently, people have also been putting li hing powder into their alcoholic drinks—mainly tequila and cocktails. 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 sometimes tangy twist. Many bars in Hawaii also rim their glasses with li hing powder in addition to putting it in the drink.

Li Hing Cancer Scare

There was also a scare about li hing products; many people believed that li hing products could cause cancer. Dr. Landis Lum, a family-practice physician from Kaiser Permanente explained about li hing powder and cancer in "The Honolulu Advertiser", a newspaper from Hawaii.

Dr. Lum explains that li hing products often include the artificial sweetener, aspartame, however Aspartame is not linked to any cancer risk. He further states that the salt and sugar from li hing mui can increase blood pressure and cause tooth decay.

References

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