This Fresh, Local Crackseed is Handmade

Jade Food Products employees wash plums from California and Taiwan to make li hing mui. The plums are dried in an oven overnight. The next day, employees move them into barrels and mix in sauce, then lay them on trays to dry.

The total process takes three to four days, says Deanne Ho, the company’s president. Ho says three people are normally involved in making 500- to 1,000-pound batches of li hing mui, and all the work is done by hand because the fruit is delicate.

Photo: Aaron Yoshino

Jade Food Products was established in 1961 by Ho’s father, Hollis, and now offers about 40 to 50 varieties of crackseed. Its li hing mui tends to sell out within a week. “The stuff you get in the store is fresh compared to something that comes overseas,” says Ho.

Time: 10:14 a.m.
Location: Jade Food Products
Photographer: Aaron K. Yoshino