Chamoy is a popular Mexican condiment and sauce made from pickled fruit, typically apricots, plums, mangoes, or a combination, combined with chili powder, salt, sugar, and sometimes lime juice or vinegar. Its flavor is a bold blend of salty, sweet, sour, and spicy, often described as fruity chile sauce. Chamoy can vary in consistency from a liquid to a thick paste
. The preparation involves first pickling the fruit in a brine solution, sometimes acidified with vinegar, which draws out moisture. The dried fruit is sold as a snack called "saladitos," while the seasoned brine becomes chamoy sauce after adding chili powder and other flavorings. The sauce is commonly used to top fresh fruit, snacks, drinks, and even savory dishes. It is especially popular drizzled over fruit cups, popsicles, shaved ice, and ice cream
. Chamoy has Asian origins, tracing back to Chinese and Japanese preserved fruit snacks like li hing mui and umeboshi, which were introduced to Mexico via Filipino immigrants or Asian immigrants. Over time, chamoy evolved into the uniquely Mexican sauce known today
. In summary, chamoy is a versatile Mexican sauce made from pickled fruit and chili, celebrated for its complex sweet, sour, salty, and spicy flavors used widely in Mexican cuisine.
