''Chanh muối'' is a salted, pickled lime in

Vietnamese cuisine Vietnamese cuisine encompasses the foods and beverages of Vietnam. Meals feature a combination of five fundamental tastes ( vi, ngũ vị, links=no, label=none): sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and spicy. The distinctive nature of each dish refle ...

. Its name comes from the

Vietnamese Vietnamese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia ** A citizen of Vietnam. See Demographics of Vietnam. * Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam ** Overse ...

words ''chanh'' (meaning "lime" or "lemon") and ''muối'' (meaning "salt"). To make the ''chanh muối'', many limes (often key limes) are packed tightly in salt in a glass container and placed in the sun until they are pickled. During the process, juices are drawn off the limes, which dissolves the salt and produces a pickling liquid which immerses the finished ''chanh muối''.

Serving method

''Chanh muối'' are used to make a drink (with added

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or do ...

and

water Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as ...

carbonated water Carbonated water (also known as soda water, sparkling water, fizzy water, club soda, water with gas, in many places as mineral water, or especially in the United States as seltzer or seltzer water) is water containing dissolved carbon dioxide gas, ...

) that is called ''nước chanh muối'' or ''soda chanh muối'', if made with carbonated water. ''Nước'' means water or "drink" in this context, when combined as ''nước chanh'' it means lemonade. The name of the drink is usually shortened to just ''chanh muối'' when the context is beverages and often appears on the menus of Vietnamese restaurants translated as "salty

lemonade Lemonade is a sweetened lemon-flavored beverage. There are varieties of lemonade found throughout the world. In North America and South Asia, cloudy still lemonade is the most common variety. There it is traditionally a homemade drink using ...

" or "salty

limeade Limeade is a lime-flavored drink sweetened with sugar. A typical method of preparation is to juice limes, and combine the juice with simple syrup or honey syrup, along with some additional water and perhaps more sugar or honey. Vodka or white ...

." To prepare the drink, a small piece of ''chanh muối'' (containing both rind and flesh) is cut, placed in a glass, and crushed slightly with a spoon or other utensil to release its juices, then the other ingredients are added. Although the drink is typically served cold, with ice, as a refreshing summer drink, it may also be served hot, and is believed to be a remedy for the

common cold The common cold or the cold is a viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory tract that primarily affects the respiratory mucosa of the nose, throat, sinuses, and larynx. Signs and symptoms may appear fewer than two days after expos ...

.Vietnamese Preserved Lemons (Chanh Muối) and Salty Lemonade , Garden Betty
/ref> After finishing the drink, many Vietnamese people enjoy eating the piece of ''chanh muối'' left in the glass. Outside Vietnam,

lemon The lemon (''Citrus limon'') is a species of small evergreen trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar or China. The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culin ...

s are sometimes used instead of limes to make ''chanh muối''. The first commercial brand was created by Dan Vo, sold in bottles and bags through Southeast Asia.

References

Fruit juice Limes (fruit) Vietnamese drinks Citrus drinks {{Vietnam-stub

Serving method

See also

References