Image Credit: Sara
A refreshing drink during the hot day, Asam Boi is a fantastic beverage that can quickly quench your thirst. A delicious combination of sweet, sour, and zest makes this drink popular among Malaysians. It is widely available in many street stalls and restaurants throughout Malaysia.
What is Asam Boi?
Asam Boi is a Malay word for preserved plum. It has quite a range of colour from grey, orange, to bright red.
The drink usually consists of calamansi lime juice and dried plums that have been preserved with salt and sugar. A pinch of salt added to this drink would bring the flavour together. It is best served chilled to cool you down during hot weather.
At some places, it is mix with green apple juices for an extra zesty flavour. This green coloured drink is very delicious and refreshing. There are also many other combinations of the drink with fruits such as guava and kedondong (ambarella fruit). Other than that, there is also Sirap Asam Boi (red-coloured syrup) which is another version of the beverage.
The History
The exact history of the beverage is not known. However, the origin of preserved plum is from China. It is called as Li hing mui which means ‘travelling plum’.
Some historians said that the plum had been around in China since 470 BC. It makes its way to Japan and the rest of Asian countries around 400 years ago. The plums are preserved with salt and sugar to ensure it can last long.
In early 1900, the preserved plum becoming popular in Hawaii. This leads to various form and colours of Li hing mui available. It can be eaten as a snack, in beverages, or over the fruits in powdered form.
Where is the product available?
The beverage is a sensation drink in Malaysia. Initially, it just consists of calamansi juices with dried plums. Now, there are many new creations of the drink.
The sweet, sour, and salty plums go well with many fruits. Therefore, this gives rise to it being mixed with various fruit juices such as green apple, guava, and kedondong (ambarella fruit).
It is widely available not only in fruit form but also in powdered form. The powdered form is usually used as a flavouring and sprinkled over fruits. You can easily find the powder when you go to any street stalls or fruit stalls that sell cut fruits.
At some places, they also put the powder in alcoholic drinks such as tequila and cocktails. It gives a tangy flavour to the drink. In China, dried plums are commonly found in cups of rice wine.
Besides the usual beverage, Jeruk Mangga Asam Boi is becoming a trending drink in Malaysia. It consists of green mango slices with preserved plum powder. It also includes some red chilli slices that give spiciness to this delicious snack. The crunchiness of green mango and the perfect combination of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy makes it a popular snack.
Where to find in Malaysia
It is not hard to find this beverage, especially during hot weather. You can easily see some street-side stalls selling this drink. Besides that, many restaurants serve this refreshing drink as part of their menu.
You can order it from Restoran KB Corner (Kuala Lumpur). You can also try the modified version, Apple Asam Boi juice from Restoran Zai Sri Gemilang (Shah Alam).
Find out some of the foods that go surprisingly well together with the beverage. The next time you have them, make sure to have a glass of the refreshing drink with you!
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