Pickled plum (umeboshi)

Umeboshi

Pickled plum

梅干

[Umeboshi]

Although generally called "plums", ume (Prunus Mume) are in fact a seperate variety, just like plum and apricot (but for convenience sake we will keep up the plum tradition). The best name would in fact be "ume."

The plums are plucked in late May or June before they are completely ripe. While still green, ume are harvested and cured with sea salt for several months. The result: an extremely sour mouthful!

This is the same fruit that is used to make umeshu, so-called "plum wine" (but in fact a liqueur), made by steeping green plums in shochu or sake.

Umeboshi are usually colored red with red shiso leaves, a natural method.  The flavonoid pigment in shiso leaves gives them their distinctive color and a richer flavor.

The best (and largest) plums come from Nanko in Wakayama Prefecture. Nowadays, you find umeboshi with various additional flavorings as honey or even wine or mango.

Umeboshi are also used to make umeboshi paste (bainiku) and umeboshi vinegar.

Umeboshi are eaten as pickles on rice. A bento consisting only of rice and a red plum is called "Hinomaru (Japanese flag) Bento."

[Umeboshi Chazuke]

Kayu (rice gruel) is also usual served with a pickled plum, as is chazuke.

My start of the day consists of a cup of bitter green tea with one or two umeboshi on the side - I eat them with chopsticks, but other people put them in the tea. This is an excellent way to wake up, and also considered as healthy as the umeboshi cleans the body.

"An umeboshi a day keeps the doctor away."

Japanese Food Dictionary