Sugar-free chamoy

In Mexican cuisine one may find dried fruits pickled in brine and vinegar.

A commercial chamoy sauce sold in the US.

Brine is used for food processing and cooking (pickling and brining), and used to preserve or season the food. Brining can be applied to vegetables, cheeses and fruit in a process known as pickling.

Leal described “chamoy” to Good Morning America as being “sweet, spicy, tangy.”

It’s often made with a lot of sugar and salt, and Leal became determined to make a healthy version of this traditional snack for her dad, who was diagnosed with diabetes, to enjoy. Leal launched “I Love Chamoy”, a diabetic-friendly chamoy that is sugar-free, carb-free, and without artificial dyes. It was important to Leal that the product taste authentic, and she views it as a celebration of her culture. Having her dad tell her he couldn’t find sugar-free Mexican staples “was kind of like the lightbulb moment,” Leal said.

“It really started as me just wanting to help my dad with his cravings, and in the process I discovered there were a lot of people in our similar situation.”

Chamoy is used to make mangonadas.

She’s been happy to hear a positive response from people who previously had never tried chamoy, and most importantly, Leal’s No. 1 customer — her dad — has given it his stamp of approval. [Good Morning America]