Salty Lemon (Lime) Soda

Name: Salty Lemon (Lime) Soda (Haam Ning Chut)
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 10 lemons or limes; 10 lemons or limes; ¾ cup [180 g] coarse salt; 1 Tbsp coriander seeds; Ice; ¼ preserved lemon or lime, sliced ¼ in [6 mm] thick; ¼ preserved lemon or lime, sliced ¼ in [6 mm] thick; 1 Tbsp salted lemon or lime juice from preserved citrus; 8 oz [240 ml] 7 Up; 1 Tbsp salted lemon or lime juice from preserved citrus

Haam Ning Chut

Preparation info

Makes
1
serving

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Vibrant Hong Kong Table

By Christine Wong

Published 2024

About

This refreshing drink is a balance of sweet, salty, and sour. In traditional Chinese medicine, salt and lemons are very soothing for sore throats. Some cha chaan tengs also serve hot Coke with lemon and ginger, yit ning lok 熱檸樂, which is allegedly a remedy for cold and flu symptoms!

Ingredients

For the Preserved Citrus

10 lemons or limes
¾ cup [180 g] coarse salt

Asia
Hong Kong (China)
Preserve
Gluten-free
Vegan
Drinks

Method

Make the preserved citrus

Fill a medium pot with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Blanch the citrus for 30 to 60 seconds. Let them air-dry in sunlight for 4 to 5 hours, or in the colder months, dry them overnight in a well-ventilated spot until the peels are dry and their color is dulled.

Place the citrus into a jar—I used a 1 qt [945 ml