Born out of a tradition made famous in Mexico in the 1950s, Dani’s Spooky Treats out of East Los Angeles is bringing back the heritage of original umeboshi (salted Japanese preserved plums) style chamoy.
Dani’s has created a sweet and spicy chamoy that will be familiar to both Latino and Asian cultures and send all our aunties and tias down memory lane.
Attempting to pay homage to the original style of chamoy popularized by Teikichi Iwadare, a Japanese immigrant who settled in Mexico and created the popular dip and coating, Dani Castrejon Masumoto and her husband Erik see their 100% homemade chamoy as the perfect blend of their two cultures.
If you consider that chamoy is traditionally a Japanese staple food that has become an important part of contemporary Mexican and Latino cuisine, chamoy is the pinnacle of who the Matsumoto’s are.
Dani, born in Northridge to Mexican parents, and Erik, who is Japanese but grew up immersed in Chicano and Mexican culture, often bonded over their shared love of chamoy. However, they both agreed that today’s chamoy is lacking the original flavor and consistency that they remembered as children.
When the pandemic hit and the Matsumoto’s couldn’t get even the liquidy bottled versions of chamoy we find in stores today, they knew they would have to make their own to be able to tame their craving.
After four months of doing research on Iwadare’s recipe and trying different blends, the couple finally landed on a taste that they and their older family members approved of. A blend of dried fruits consisting of apricots, prunes, hibiscus (for coloring), spices, sugar, and water, Dani’s Spooky Treats contains no preservatives or coloring, or as the Masumoto’s would say, “All-natural and simple. Just like your Grandmother would have made you.”
Both their mothers agree; Dani’s chamoy is the authentic taste that they remember as children!
And, although they’ve replaced the umeboshi with prunes, the Matsumoto’s chamoy is likely the closest you’ll find to traditional homemade chamoy, which makes the fact that they ship to anywhere in the U.S. that much easier to satisfy your chamoy craving.
*Dani’s Spooky Treats also offers rim paste, chile/sweet gummies, and chamoy covered apples.