Kiamoy (also spelled kiamuy or kiam muy, or in Philippine Spanish as ciamoy), is a class of

Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...

treats made with dried sour

plum A plum is a fruit of some species in ''Prunus'' subg. ''Prunus'.'' Dried plums are called prunes. History Plums may have been one of the first fruits domesticated by humans. Three of the most abundantly cultivated species are not found i ...

prunes A prune is a dried plum, most commonly from the European plum (''Prunus domestica''). Not all plum species or varieties can be dried into prunes. A prune is the firm-fleshed fruit (plum) of ''Prunus domestica'' varieties that have a high solu ...

, or

apricot An apricot (, ) is a fruit, or the tree that bears the fruit, of several species in the genus ''Prunus''. Usually, an apricot is from the species '' P. armeniaca'', but the fruits of the other species in ''Prunus'' sect. ''Armeniaca'' are also ...

s preserved in

brine Brine is a high-concentration solution of salt (NaCl) in water (H2O). In diverse contexts, ''brine'' may refer to the salt solutions ranging from about 3.5% (a typical concentration of seawater, on the lower end of that of solutions used for br ...

and

vinegar Vinegar is an aqueous solution of acetic acid and trace compounds that may include flavorings. Vinegar typically contains 5–8% acetic acid by volume. Usually, the acetic acid is produced by a double fermentation, converting simple sugars to et ...

. They are sold covered in a powdery coating of an

anise Anise (; '), also called aniseed or rarely anix is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to Eurasia. The flavor and aroma of its seeds have similarities with some other spices and herbs, such as star anise, fennel, licorice, and ta ...

(sometimes

licorice Liquorice (British English) or licorice (American English) ( ; also ) is the common name of ''Glycyrrhiza glabra'', a flowering plant of the bean family Fabaceae, from the root of which a sweet, aromatic flavouring can be extracted. The liq ...

), ''li hing'' (red powder made from plum seeds), salt, and sugar mixture called "kiamoy powder" or ''kiam-muy-hoon''. They are characteristically bright red, orange, or light brown in color. They originate from Chinese Filipino immigrants and are derived from the '' li hing mui'' (旅行梅) treats of Chinese cuisine (also called ''huamei'', 話梅). The name is derived from

Philippine Hokkien Philippine Hokkien is a dialect of the Hokkien language of the Southern Min branch, primarily spoken vernacularly by Chinese Filipinos in the Philippines, where it serves as the local Chinese ''lingua franca'', primarily spoken as an oral langu ...

. A local variant of the kiamoy that evolved in the

Bicol Region Bicol, known formally as the Bicol Region or colloquially as Bicolandia ( bcl, Rehiyon kan Bikol; Rinconada Bikol: ''Rehiyon ka Bikol''; Waray Sorsogon, Masbateño: ''Rehiyon san Bikol''; tl, Rehiyon ng Bikol), is an administrative region of ...

of the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

is champóy (also spelled tsampóy, sampóy, or cham-poi, names which can also apply to kiamoy). It differs from kiamoy in that champóy is made from the locally available berry '' Myrica rubra'' (which is also known as "champóy"). Champóy is also dark red to black in color and has a predominantly sweet and tart flavor profile, in contrast to the saltier flavor profile of kiamoy. In modern times, the term "champóy" has also come to include the similar-tasting sampalok candy (sometimes differentiated as champóy na sampalok), which are sweets made from

tamarind Tamarind (''Tamarindus indica'') is a Legume, leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is probably indigenous to tropical Africa. The genus ''Tamarindus'' is monotypic taxon, monotypic, meaning that it contains only this species. It belongs ...

balls cooked in sugar and/or salt. Champoy is derived from

Cantonese Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding are ...

, referring to '' chenpi''. Kiamoy are popular as street food usually sold near schools and are also commonly eaten as a remedy for

car sickness Motion sickness occurs due to a difference between actual and expected motion. Symptoms commonly include nausea, vomiting, cold sweat, headache, dizziness, tiredness, loss of appetite, and increased salivation. Complications may rarely include de ...

. Kiamoy can also be infused into alcoholic drinks. Kiamoy powder is also sold separately as an ingredient, and can be used as a coating for

kiamoy chicken Kiamoy (also spelled kiamuy or kiam muy, or in Philippine Spanish as ciamoy), is a class of Filipino cuisine, Filipino treats made with dried sour plums, prunes, or apricots preserved in brine and vinegar. They are sold covered in a powdery co ...

or as a dip for fruits like pomelo, fresh green mango, or pickled green mango. Kiamoy and champóy are believed to be the direct ancestors of the

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

treat

saladitos Saladitos are plums or apricots, which are dried, salted and which can also be sweetened with sugar and anise or coated in chili and lime. A common misconception is that saladitos and chamoy are the same thing; saladitos are the dried salted f ...

and the chamoy sauce derived from it. They were transported to Nueva España by Filipino migrants via the

Manila Galleons fil, Galyon ng Maynila , english_name = Manila Galleon , duration = From 1565 to 1815 (250 years) , venue = Between Manila and Acapulco , location = New Spain (Spanish Empire) ...

(1565 to 1815).

References

{{Filipino food Candy Philippine desserts Vegetarian dishes of the Philippines Food preservation Philippine fusion cuisine

See also

References