Hello friends.
First of all, I want to welcome all of our new subscribers. Between the recent press from KQED and the Burlap & Barrel Newsletter feature, we have a lot of new subscribers. Thank you for joining us and I hope you enjoy my sporadic newsletter!
For those who were recently introduced to Bolita, Bolita is a masa focused business in the Bay Area. We make fresh masa, tortillas, tetelas, tlacoyos, salsas (SF Chronicle’s favorite Salsa Macha). We occasionally do pop-ups all over the Bay Area. We cook private dinners and large format feasts (Hire us for your next dinner party). We’ve been featured in the SF Chronicle, Bon Appetit, Epicurious, numerous local publications, and, most importantly, prominently featured in my parents’ refrigerator.
That’s enough about Bolita and what we do, let’s talk about salted Plums and Chamoy.
Chamoy: Take Asian Salted Plums and Make them Mexican
Lately, we’ve been making and selling Strawberry-Tamarind Chamoy.
Chamoy is a salted fruit based sauce/paste, most commonly made with salted plums/apricots. It is unclear/hotly debated how Chamoy originated, but it can all be traced back to salted plum and salted apricot treats (see mui) from China that eventually made their way to Mexico via the Philippines or via Hawaii. The Philippines connection is the most straightforward— Filipino immigrants brought pickled & dried fruits called champoy and kiamoy to Mexico. But, there’s also a theory that Japanese immigrants introduced umeboshi to Mexico, eventually becoming a staple in Mexican pantries, eventually leading to chamoy.
Regardless of how the pickling/brining technique made it’s way to Mexico, it came and it stuck. Just like a tacky, dried plum sticking to your teeth, see mui lodged it’s way into Mexican gastronomy, so deeply that it’s assumed to be as Mexican as salsa.
As a child, I was unimpressed by the tartness and spice of Mexican candies. I was never one to eat Saladitos, a candy my parents and other relatives enjoyed— salted plums dusted in tart chile powder. But, I was missing out. Tamarind sticks and spicy salted plums felt like a chore. Why squirm and grimace your way through a stick of spicy salted plums when Haribo bears are so cozy and unchallenging? I now see the value of these candies. Salted/brined fruits dried to make a chewy, salty, sweet, tart snack. But, improved and made Mexican by a generous dusting of chile powder and lime flavor (citric acid).
Common versions of chamoy, the condiment, tend to be very sweet, artificially tart and have a certain muted spiciness reminiscent of an old spice drawer. Maybe I was a picky little snob, but I was never a fan of Chamoy. I avoided it when it was drizzled over fruit, or rimmed the glass of an agua fresca. I never loved the common, industrial chamoy you would find throughout Mexico. It took me a while to appreciate the condiment. Traditionally, Chamoy contains salted plums for sweetness/salt/acidity, hibiscus and lime for added tartness, sugar to balance the tartness, chile to add heat, and sugar for more sweetness and to round out all that acidity. Sometimes tamarind is added for it’s musky complexity and just straight up deliciousness. All of this blended into a thick sauce or paste that comes in liter bottles to be poured generously atop of fruit bowls, chips or Micheladas.
So, I made a Chamoy. One that I love and will gleefully drizzle on salted melons, cucumber, mango, jicama, or serve with a sweet corn tamal like I did yesterday at our pop-up. It’s really quite simple. You should make your own Chamoy someday too. I took organic strawberries preserved in sugar and vinegar, sprinkled them with salt and dehydrated them. Once salted and dried, I cooked them with heirloom hibiscus flowers, tamarind puree, Mexican sea salt, piloncillo sugar, rice wine vinegar, and Oaxacan chile Onza. I cooked this down, then blended it all up, the flowers and all. Twice strained, and cooked again until it reached the deep purple hue and consistency I was looking for. See, simple, start to finish, 3 days. It's for sale at our markets until we run out.
It’s savory, salty, tart, bright, earthy, slightly spicy and just right. No salted plums or salted apricots like those introduced by Chinese, Filipino or Japanese immigrants, but our chamoy is rooted in those flavors and techniques that came to Mexico. It’s Bolita’s Chamoy.
Here are some dates and information on where to get your masa things. We’re doing less pop-ups going forward, so please come out when we do have them, it means a lot.
This may be too much to ask, but keep supporting us weekly. As we grow our team and continue to build this project, we really need consistent support. Even if its a jar of salsa macha for a friend visiting town, telling your friend to try some fresh masa, or just making tortillas regularly. We appreciate you and we want to keep getting better, but we need consistent support. Thank you!!
THURSDAY 8/31 - Mission Mercado, 84 Bartlett St., SF 3:00-7:00pm
All the things you love! Tortillas, masa, salsas, tetelas, tlacoyos.
FRIDAY 9/1 - Pop-Up at Gilman Wine Block, 1350 Fifth St, Berkeley, CA 3:00-8:00pm
Come By! Check Instagram for menu details — we’ll have tuna ceviche tostadas, tomato + eggplant tostadas, brisket & pepper quesadillas, and more
Saturday 9/2 - Grand Lake Farmer’s Market, Splashpad, Oakland 9:00-2:00pm
All the things you love! Tortillas, masa, salsas, tetelas, tlacoyos.
THURSDAY 9/7 - Mission Mercado, 84 Bartlett St., SF 3:00-7:00pm
All the things you love! Tortillas, masa, salsas, tetelas, tlacoyos.
Saturday 9/9 - Grand Lake Farmer’s Market, Splashpad, Oakland 9:00-2:00pm
All the things you love! Tortillas, masa, salsas, tetelas, tlacoyos.
THURSDAY 9/14 - Mission Mercado, 84 Bartlett St., SF 3:00-7:00pm
All the things you love! Tortillas, masa, salsas, tetelas, tlacoyos.
Saturday 9/16 - Grand Lake Farmer’s Market, Splashpad, Oakland 9:00-2:00pm
All the things you love! Tortillas, masa, salsas, tetelas, tlacoyos.
THURSDAY 9/21 - Mission Mercado, 84 Bartlett St., SF 3:00-7:00pm
All the things you love! Tortillas, masa, salsas, tetelas, tlacoyos.
Saturday 9/23 - Grand Lake Farmer’s Market, Splashpad, Oakland 9:00-2:00pm
All the things you love! Tortillas, masa, salsas, tetelas, tlacoyos.
Thank you for supporting Bolita! We hope to see you soon and can’t wait to feed you!