After living in Italy I am always tempted to throw an “h” in margarita (margherita). That’s not correct.
My parents have lived in the South Pacific since 2010, and one of the first times I visited them I tried Li Hing Mui, a sweet/sour dried plum. Instantly struck my the sweet/sour/salty taste, I spent the rest of my visit trying to hunt it down in convenience stores. It is a pretty common treat.
We went to stay at a resort in Hawaii on the big island (my parents lived in the Marshall Islands at the time) and popped down to the bar for a cocktail. The mango margarita with li hing powder instantly struck me. At first sip, the savory li hing and the sweet mango + tequilla had me in heaven. I tried to re-create that exact flavor and failed miserably.
So I tried again, this time with my old friend’s grapefruit and lime. The pucker from the grapefruit, tang of the lime, bite of the tequila are enhanced by the li hing powder beautifully. I added about a tablespoon of simple syrup because I wanted something a little sweeter that day, but it can definitely be left out if you want something more sour and less sweet.
The salt in the li hing powder perfect mimics the salt of a classic margarita, and I shook a little into the margarita itself, resulting in the tangerine color of the drink. Li hing powder can be found on Amazon, and is fantastic sprinkled on fruit and popcorn.
If you are looking too add a new twist to your margarita, give this a try. It is an awesome compliment to tacos, or the perfect drink to sip at a BBQ with friends. Doesn’t this drink just look like summer? (I acknowledge the rim looks awful)
Sweet, Salty, with a little pucker, the stunning color of this drink and tangy taste is sure to delight your eyes and your tastebuds.
You can buy li hing powder on Amazon.
Ingredients
- Juice from one lime
- Juice from half of a grapefruit
- 1 oz tequilla
- 1 oz triple sec
- 1 tablespoon simple syrup (if you want it a little sweet)
- splash of seltzer water
- li hing powder for rim and drink
Directions
Rub lime on the rim of your glass and then dip into li hing powder, creating your rim. Mix lime, grapefruit juice, tequila and triple sec and simple syrup (if using) in a shaker or glass ( I don’t have a cocktail shaker, so I always mix drinks in a glass with a spoon). Once combined, add like 2 pinches of your li hing powder and ice stir again. Top with a splash of seltzer water and serve.
From Prosecco to Peaches 