Salty Xoconostle Strips

Product ID: 00054-167

MSRP: $6.95

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“Tequila’s best friend! Mezcal is pretty darn happy, too!”

Most of us know that prickly pear cactus yield sweet, delicious fruits that taste oddly tropical, despite their preference for a desert climate. A close cousin to the common prickly pear is the xoconostle. Its fruits looks similar to a prickly pear but their taste is muy sour and muy appealing. You find them in salsas and dishes throughout central Mexico. Xoxoc takes their xoconostle and dries them naturally and in this case, salts them. The result is an addictive chewy snack for hot weather, but where they really shine is with premium tequilas and mezcal.

The salt and sour sensation replaces the traditional salt and lime! Take a sip, take a bite and then you’ll understand why we declare these little flavor bombs essential to tequila time. And they’re a lot handier than messy limes and salt cellars.

If you have a tequila fanatic in your life, congratulations. You’re lucky. Now you have the perfect gift!

Xoxoc are of course our partners in the Rancho Gordo-Xoxoc Project. The origins of these snacks come from Xoxoc being located on land that had been destroyed by hundreds of years of cattle and the only survivors seem to be the natural xoconostle plants. Now they make these snacks, salsas and a wonderful marmalade, all with the sour prickly pears that thrive in the Hidalgo climate and terrain.

In the near future we’ll be adding the sweet version and the chile version to the website.

Flor de Sal Sea Salt

Product ID: 00054-147

MSRP: $11.95

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From a women’s cooperative in the Yucatan comes these glorious “salt flowers”, perfect for finishing your best dishes. A simple plate of heirloom tomotoes sprinkled with a little Flor de Sal becomes an intense dish, burtsting with flavor.

Mexican Flor de Sal is comparable to French Fleur de Sel only in quality. Its price is much lower but we think our Yucatan Flor de Sal will soon become your favorite salt.

Suggestions:Our sea salt is from ancient salt marshes in the Mayan Yucatan and can be used anyplace regular salt would be used. Does not contain iodine.

Mixteca Salt

Product ID: 00054-137

MSRP: $6.95

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Mixteca salt is mined from ancient salt mines in Puebla, near the Oaxacan border and processed by letting the natural spring waters evaporate. But what’s really amazing about this salt is the fact that it’s naturally high in bicarbonates that will actually soften your beans.

Most bean lore insists that adding salt before your beans are soft will actually make them harder. I’m not sure if this is true but I do know a pinch or so of Mixteca Salt at the beginning of cooking beans will soften them. It’s like the old trick of adding baking soda, without the nasty taste!

The salt isn’t a good finishing salt and it will ruin your pasta but it will perform magic on your beans, and if you add it to the cooking water, it will keep your vegetables bright and green! But a little dab will do you so only use a small amount or your beans and vegetables will turn to mush or porridge.

Don’t be scared, just be careful. In reality. most Rancho Gordo beans are so fresh, they barely need any soaking, let alone any help for softening, but if you have some old stock on hand or want to experiment with an interesting new salt, we think you’ll love the Mixteca Salt.