Crack Seed Summer Fruit Salad

Visits to the crack seed store for our favorite salted, sweetened, and preserved fruits was a common occurrence after school or on weekends for many of us as kids. 

We would even put crack seed in lollipops, in ice cakes / Icee, and when sick - a half lemon with salt.

You can buy crack seed in the grocery store, but it doesn't beat visiting your neighborhood shop, and the displays of glass jars are sure to make your mouth water. 

With roots in China’s Li Hing Mui, Hawai‘i's “crack seed,” which refers to the cracking of the seed in the fruit to enhance the flavors, is the inspiration of our Crack Seed Summer Fruit Salad.

Featuring preserved calamansi, prune mui, and a li hing mui vinaigrette, along with local tomatoes and pineapples, this dish pays homage to this staple Hawai‘i snack through nostalgic flavors.