Strawberry Hibiscus Sorbet and Mango Sorbet with Chamoy Ripple

(it's frozen sweet treats month!)

Hi friends, and a sunny welcome to new subscribers! Every Friday, you’ll receive bright and fresh California Cuisine recipes to inspire you, no matter where you live in the world. I’m so glad you’re here.

Temperatures are heating up, so all of June will feature frozen sweet treats to beat the summer heat. We’re talking sorbets, ice creams, and popsicles. But of course, there will be a Southern California spin to them!

Something new starting later this month: SoCal restaurant recommendations. I know we all look online at anonymous reviews when searching for a place to eat, but there’s nothing like a recommendation from a local! So, I’ll share photos and honest reviews of some of my favorite places to eat in Southern California.

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What is Chamoy?

California Cuisine sometimes includes unique ingredients that are not familiar to everyone. For instance, chamoy. You might be wondering, what the heck is it?

Chamoy (CHA-moy) is a condiment that is very popular in Mexico. Made from brined fruit and chiles, it is spicy, sweet, sour, and salty. The texture ranges from liquid-y to paste-like.

The tangy sauce is found in both sweet and savory dishes. One of the most popular uses of chamoy is when it’s drizzled on fresh ripe mango, pineapple, and watermelon. It is equally delicious when added to sauces for meat and poultry dishes, as a glaze for mixed nuts, and swirled into frozen treats, like in our recipe today.

Chamoy has murky origins, but there is a definite tie to Southeast Asia (notice the karate kid on the chamoy label above). The first time I tasted chamoy, it reminded me of something I grew up eating: li hing mui, or dried salted plums. I like to think of these plums as the OG sweet and sour treat, way better than Sour Patch Kids candy.

Living in Hawaii as a kid, one of my favorite after-school snacks was li hing mui (LEE-hing-moy). There was a store at the Ala Moana Mall called Crack Seed Center that sold li hing mui, along with a huge assortment of other preserved dried fruits all displayed in big glass jars. Things like rock salt plum, dried lemon peel, and li hing mango. A visit to the crack seed store was always exciting and delicious!

On our most recent trip to Hawaii a few months ago, I found the local grocery store in Kona had a crack seed section. So, of course, I had to get a package of li hing mui! The ingredients have gone rogue and a little scary, as you can see in the photo. Aspartame and sodium saccharin are now included, so I’m not sure if I want to even finish the package, but I couldn’t help buying it.

So, how does this relate to chamoy? A popular theory is that Asian immigrants to Mexico brought li hing mui and other dried salted fruits to their new home. These tangy treats were adopted and adapted, becoming part of the Mexican concoction called chamoy.

It seems store-bought chamoy, however, has also gone a little rogue and scary, as you can see on the ingredient label. It now includes high fructose corn syrup, several artificial food dyes, and other things I don’t know how to pronounce. As much as I love the taste, I wanted to find a better way to enjoy it.

There are several recipes online for from-scratch, homemade chamoy. But as soon as I saw the one posted on the Serious Eats website, I knew I had found a winner. It includes umeboshi, an Asian brined pickled plum, which is salty, sour, and sweet. The recipe is included below.

Recipes

Strawberry Hibiscus Sorbet

Yields 4 to 6 servings

Time: 40-ish minutes plus chilling time

Ruby red, sweet, and floral! This sassy sorbet combines fresh strawberries with dried hibiscus flowers and lime for a delicious fruity frozen treat. Thanks to Fany Gerson’s raspberry hibiscus sorbet inspo at Food & Wine.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb strawberries, trimmed of tops

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 2 tsp. fresh lime juice

• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

• 1 cup hibiscus tea concentrate (recipe here)

Directions:

1. Tip the strawberries, sugar, lime juice, and kosher salt into a blender or food processor. Blitz 20 seconds or until pureed. Pour in the hibiscus tea concentrate and blitz again. Pour into a container, cover, and place in the fridge for 20 minutes to chill.

2. Next, pour the chilled mixture into the frozen insert of an ice cream machine. Process by following the manufacturer’s directions for your machine. Churn until the mixture starts to thicken and looks like a berry smoothie. This could be anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes. Note: I have a Rival ice cream maker and it took me about 25 minutes.

3. Transfer the mixture into a freezer-safe container with an airtight top. Cover and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight.

4. To serve, leave the sorbet on the counter for 5 to 10 minutes to soften slightly before scooping.

Mango Sorbet with Chamoy Ripple

Yields 4 to 6 servings

Time: 40-ish minutes plus chilling time

Sweet mango sorbet with a ribbon of tangy chamoy running through it! This frozen treat combines fresh fruitiness with some mild heat for a refreshing change of pace. I have to say, the flavor combo is pretty addicting!

Ingredients:

• 4 cups fresh or frozen ripe mango, peeled and chopped

• 1/4 cup water

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1 tsp fresh lime juice

• Purchased or homemade chamoy (recipe below)

• Tajin seasoning

Directions:

1. Place the mango and water in a blender or food processor. Blitz for 30 seconds or until the mango is pureed. Tip the sugar and lime juice into the blender and blitz again until incorporated.

2. Now you have a choice to make. If you want your sorbet completely smooth and texture-free, pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to rid it of any pulp. If you don’t mind texture and find it rustic-y and delicious like I do, skip the strainer.

3. Pour the mixture into a container, cover, and place in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes.

4. Next, pour the chilled mixture into the frozen insert of an ice cream machine. Process by following the manufacturer’s directions for your machine. Churn until the mixture starts to thicken. This could be anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes. Note: I have a Rival ice cream maker and it took me about 25 minutes.

5. Pour about one-half of the mango mixture into a freezer-safe container. Add a drizzle of chamoy over the mango. Store-bought chamoy is usually more liquid-y, while homemade is thicker. Homemade chamoy is easier to drizzle if placed in a piping bag or Ziploc bag with a snipped corner. Lightly sprinkle with Tajin.

6. Repeat one more time with mango mixture, chamoy drizzle, and Tajin. Plunge a chopstick or knife tip into the mixture until it reaches the bottom, then make a couple of large figure eights to make a pretty swirl.

7. Cover and freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight. To serve, leave the sorbet on the counter for 5 to 10 minutes to soften slightly before scooping. Garnish with an extra sprinkle of Tajin.

Homemade Chamoy

Yields 4 cups

Time: 30-ish minutes

Tart, tangy, sweet, and spicy! Chamoy is a multipurpose condiment from Mexico with ties to Southeast Asia. Drizzle it over fruits, vegetables, and snacks. Use it to glaze meat, poultry, and fish. It’s also delish in frozen treats and cocktails.

Many thanks to Serious Eats for their from-scratch chamoy recipe. I made a tiny substitution, using umeboshi paste instead of pickled plums.

Notes:

• If you can’t find dried arbol chiles, sub in another fiery chile like Thai bird chiles or cayenne pepper.

• A surprising sub for umeboshi plums or plum paste? Rhubarb. It has a similar astringent taste and flavor.

• Wondering if you should purchase umeboshi paste or tamarind concentrate, because when will you ever use them again? I got you, friend! I promise they will not languish in the back of your pantry. Recipes are coming all summer, where they are featured in cocktails, marinades, and sauces.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried hibiscus flowers

• 1/2 cup dried apricots

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 4 dried arbol chiles, de-seeded

• 2 1/2 Tbsp umeboshi plum paste

• 1 Tbsp tamarind concentrate (not paste)

• 1 Tbsp kosher salt (Morton’s)

• 3 cups water

• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice

Directions:

1. Dump everything EXCEPT the lime juice into a medium saucepan and stir together. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, then immediately lower to a simmer. Cover and let simmer 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and remove the cover to cool for a few minutes.

2. Tip the lime juice into a blender or food processor. Add the hibiscus mixture including all the solids. Cover and blitz for 30 seconds. Uncover, scrape down the sides with a spatula, cover, and blitz again for 30 seconds to 1 minute. The mixture should be a smooth puree.

3. Pour into a mason jar or other airtight container and seal. Store in the fridge for up to one month.

Cookies

Are you thinking you might want a cookie or three to enjoy with the sorbets? Me too. I think Shell Plant’s Lemon & Chamomile Shortbread would be just scrummy. Or Sophia Real’s Za’atar and White Chocolate Chip Cookies would be fab (by the way, Sophia is a guest on my next podcast episode, so stay tuned!).

There are also Banana Cookies with Brown Butter on my website and they are delish!

Tell Me

Are you on Team Chamoy or not? I’d love to hear about your favorite sorbet flavors.

Coming next week: frozen treats, but on a stick! Yes, popsicles! See you next Friday.