The story of plum powder starts with the history of plums and the first domesticated plum - Prunus mume or ume - grown in China over two thousand years ago.

This plum powder, from Taiwan, is full of memories of a taste we recognize from trips to Hawaii, candies and dishes found in Asia.

This plum powder has the distinct flavor of the salty plums from China that are called Huamei (話梅) in Mandarin and Li Hing Mui (旅行梅) in Cantonese, without the eye clenching, overpowering salty hit.

The central and southern regions of Taiwan has a long tradition of cultivating plums. The producers of the plums have perfected the art of preserving them with a refined balance of sweet, sour, and salty flavors. This harmony of flavors is what makes Taiwanese plum powder distinctly different from all others.

It was in the 20th century that the plum powder really took off in Taiwan’s famous night markets. It was here that the powder was sprinkled over tart slices of guava, green mango, pineapple, and even cucumber, where its sweet-sour-salty balance heightens the fruit’s natural flavor and adds a refreshing kick. Sometimes it’s also dusted onto shaved ice or worked into drinks, giving desserts and beverages a bright, tangy edge!

Like the way gummy worms want to be'sweet, delicious, with the perfect amount of chewiness, as in not too much. Sweet like fruit can be and with no clingy, teeth-grabbing pain that fake sugar imparts.

These amazing Natural Preserved Plums, Ameixa d'Elvas DOP, are the oldest sweets from the Alto Alentejo region in Portugal. The process, adapted from the Convent of Nossa Senhora da Consolação in Elvas, involves cooking in copper pots, resting for at least 24 hours, and cooking again. Then, they mature for 2 months or more in a sugar syrup.

The result is these amazing sweetened plums.