This Hawaiian Staple Is the Recipe Upgrade You Didn’t Know You Needed

Spin the globe, place your finger where it lands, and chances are high that the area has at least one spice blend that’s synonymous with the cuisine. From the first sprinkle, these seasonings take locals back to their childhood. Caribbean jerk seasoning. Egyptian dukkah. French Herbes de Provence. Japanese shichimi togarashi. Indian garam masala. Mexican Tajín.

In Hawai‘i, that signature seasoning is li hing mui powder, which has been a staple in homes and at restaurants across the Hawaiian Islands for more than 100 years.

Here’s what makes this signature spice so special, plus where to find it and how to use it.

What Is Li Hing Mui Powder?

Li hing mui is a small, salted dried plum that’s native to China. Roughly translated from Cantonese, the name means “traveling plum,” a nod to the fact that the fruits are ideal to pack as snacks. Simply suck on the flesh portion and toss the seed for a quick energy boost. In Guam, the plums are “sweet and sours,” which gives a nice summary of their flavor: equal parts sweet, salty, and tart. In addition to being dried, these plums are pickled. Today, that combo includes a mixture of licorice, red food coloring, salt, sugar, and sometimes other sweeteners.

The fruit made its way to the Hawaiian Islands and other Polynesian islands in the mid-1800s via Chinese immigrants working on sugar, coffee, and pineapple plantations. As National Geographic reports, it’s here in Hawai‘i—with additional influences from Japanese and Portuguese immigrants as well as Hawaiians—where the sour plum was transformed into an even more versatile product: li hing mui powder, which is made by grinding up the fruit. And if you spot “li hing” on a menu in Hawai‘i, it’s highly likely this is referring to the powder, rather than the fruit. For many people in Hawai‘i, the distinct flavor tastes like home.

How To Use Li Hing Mui Powder

Options abound for how to use li hing mui powder. Here are just a few ideas to start. Don’t feel limited to sticking to these, though—feel free to get creative and use the seasoning in any recipe that could benefit from a little sweet and tangy kick.

• Sprinkle it on pineapple, mango, apples, grapes, watermelon, strawberries, or other fruit.
• Use it to coat gummy bears and other gummy candy.
• Dip cocktail glasses in citrus juice, then use li hing mui powder to rim the glass.
• Mix 1 tablespoon li hing mui powder with 1/2 cup of sugar to use as a coating for monkey bread-bound biscuit dough, croissant cones, or to dust warm, fresh-from-the-fryer donuts. (In Hawai‘i, li hing mui powder is a common coating for the malasadas, a popular kind of Portuguese-style donut.)
• Sprinkle it over shave ice.

Where To Buy Li Hing Mui Powder

In Hawai‘i, you’ll find li hing mui powder on the shelves at many local shops known as “crack seed stores” and in supermarkets. If you live in the continental U.S., you’ll have the easiest time getting the goods online (although booking a flight to Hawai‘i and snagging this as a souvenir doesn’t sound like a bad idea!).

Find dried li hing mui fruit, candy made with it, a syrup that’s infused with it, or traditional li hing mui powder from these online retailers:

You can also order li hing mui powder from Amazon or Walmart.