Saladitos facts for kids

Saladitos are a type of dried fruit, usually plums or apricots. They are made by drying the fruit and then adding salt. Sometimes, they are also made sweet with sugar and a spice called anise, or given a spicy kick with chili and lime. It's easy to mix up saladitos and chamoy, but they are different! Saladitos are the dried, salty fruit itself. Chamoy is a sauce made from the salty liquid left over after making saladitos.

How People Enjoy Saladitos

Saladitos are a popular snack, especially in Mexico, where they are often thought of as a type of candy. They can be enjoyed in many ways around the world.

Eating Saladitos with Fruit

In some parts of Asia, people like to put a few saladitos inside an orange or lemon. They then suck out the salty juice from the fruit. As they do this, the dried saladito fruit soaks up the juice and becomes soft again. After all the juice is gone, the softened saladitos are eaten, and the pits are thrown away.

Eating Saladitos Plain

Another way to enjoy saladitos is to eat them by themselves. You can just eat the dried fruit and then discard the pit. Some people prefer to rinse the saladito with water first. This can make them a little less salty before you eat them.

Saladitos in Drinks

Saladitos can also add a fun twist to drinks! People sometimes drop a few saladitos into sodas like Sprite or ginger ale. They are also used in beer. When a saladito is put into a fizzy drink, you will see bubbles start to rise right away. This adds a unique flavor to the drink. In Taiwan, people make a special plum drink by soaking several saladitos in a pitcher of water. The plums rehydrate and give a delicious flavor to the water.

Saladitos Around the World

Saladitos are enjoyed in many places, each with its own name and style.

Saladitos in Australia

In Australia, these tasty treats are known as Salty Plums. You can find them with different textures. Some are very salty, while others are sweeter. They are especially popular in the northern parts of Australia, like the NT, Western Australia (WA), and Queensland (QLD). The main ingredients often include salt, sugar, food coloring, and plums.

Food Safety and Saladitos

It is very important for all foods, including saladitos, to be safe to eat. Sometimes, food products might have something in them that shouldn't be there. For example, in 2009, some saladitos sold in the United States were found to have levels of certain substances that were higher than health guidelines allow. This led to a notice being issued to make sure people knew about it. It's always a good idea to know where your food comes from and to make sure it meets safety standards.