Salted plum soda, plus an espresso twist

My ideal existence is in balmy climes, a contrary beverage of Siberian-esque iciness in hand. It's a right shame that British weather is of such unsound mind, pulling the rug from under me any time I think it's finally summer, but that means when the odd warm day pops along I really, really, really, really race to prep and enjoy as many iced drinks as I can.

One of my favourites, especially if I've been out and about, a bit sweaty, in need of a pick-me-up, is this salted plum soda. Or, if it's the morning after one of those rare warm nights, the salted plum americano variation hits the spot.

I order this a lot when I'm in Thailand, but I don't often see it on menus here in London. Thankfully it's extraordinarily easy to make at home.

Ingredients

The most important, and perhaps least straightforward to find, ingredient is salted pickled plums. There are a few brands, but in the UK this is one of the more common. You will need to find an East or Southeast Asian grocer to source this. Any large Chinese supermarket, for instance, should stock salted plums.

• Sugar syrup will need to be prepped in advance, but it's easy and keeps. Just use a 2:1 ratio of sugar to water. I talk about the method a bit more in the recipes.

Variations

There are a few variations on the salted plum soda.

• Non-carbonated - you can use regularly old tap water if you'd like.
• Sour - add lemon or lime if you'd like a more sour flavour.
• Caffeinated - You'll see I've also included a recipe with espresso.

Related recipes

Looking for other vegan drink recipes? Try these:

📖 Recipe

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Salted plum soda (nam buay soda น้ำบ๊วยโซดา)

Salted plum soda is a refreshing salty-sweet iced beverage perfect for hefty sweat days. Use a glass with a minimum volume of 47cl (16oz). If you'd like a splash of sourness, you can add some fresh lime or lemon.

Course: Drinks

Servings: 1 glass

Ingredients

• 1 salted plum
• 1 teaspoon liquid from jar of salted plums
• 2 tablespoons sugar syrup See notes
• Ice to fill glass
• 180 millilitres soda water

Instructions

• Add the salted plum to a glass. Mash with a spoon or fork or spoon to break the soft flesh down. Discard the stone. Add the salted plum liquid and sugar syrup.
• Fill the glass with ice. Top with 180 millilitres of soda water. Stir before drinking.

Notes

To make the sugar syrup, use a 2:1 ratio of sugar to water. That's twice the amount of sugar to amount of water (e.g. 1 cup sugar plus ½ cup water). Heat in a saucepan until the sugar is dissolved and store in a jar. It will keep for awhile, especially in the fridge.

📖 Recipe

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Salted plum americano soda (Americano buay soda อเมริกาโน่บ๊วยโซดา)

I first tried this at Esconic Coffee in Mae Hong Son (Thailand) and it's a refreshing kick for those summer mornings when you wake up sweating. Use a glass with a minimum volume of 47cl (16oz).

Course: Drinks

Servings: 1 glass

Equipment

• espresso maker

Ingredients

• 1 pickled plum
• ½ teaspoon salted plum liquid
• 2 tablespoons sugar syrup see notes
• 140 millilitres soda water
• 30 millilitres espresso 1 shot

Instructions

• Add the salted plum to a glass. Mash with a spoon or fork or spoon to break the soft flesh down. Discard the stone. Add the salted plum liquid and sugar syrup.
• Fill the glass with ice and pour the soda water over.
• Top with the espresso. Stir before drinking.

Notes

To make the sugar syrup, use a 2:1 ratio of sugar to water. That's twice the amount of sugar to amount of water (e.g. 1 cup sugar plus ½ cup water). Heat in a saucepan until the sugar is dissolved and store in a jar. It will keep for awhile, especially in the fridge.