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What Is an Umeboshi Plum?

Cynde Gregory
Cynde Gregory

Umeboshi, a pickled and dried apricot-like fruit much beloved by the Japanese, is both so salty and so sour that most Western palates find it, well, unpalatable. Fans of macrobiotics claim that this wrinkled little fruit is a warrior against problems with digestion, infection, and bodily discharge, a characteristic that is attributable to its highly alkaline chemical makeup. An umeboshi plum might be found snuggled in a little bed of white rice, or in a tea cup as vinegar, or in soups. While the taste might be an acquired one, umeboshi is firmly ensconced in the diets of many.

A true umeboshi vinegar is the result of the juices that gather in the wooden barrels in which the fruit has been packed at harvest. The fruit, which matures in early summer, is traditionally dressed in 20 percent salt, tightly packed into barrels, and weighted down to encourage them to let go of their juice. Umeboshi vinegar, called umezu, is not as easy to find as it once was since production methods are changing.

Kombu, which is sometimes used to cure umeboshi plums.
Kombu, which is sometimes used to cure umeboshi plums.

The Japanese and some Westerners claim a long list of healing and restorative powers lend the umeboshi plum a one-two punch. It is touted as everything from a hangover cure to a powerful fix for a bacterial infection. The traditional method of salt curing doesn’t fight the fruit’s health profile. More and more producers have begun using vinegar tinged with honey or kombu, a type of seaweed, along with a chemical preservative.

Umeboshi plum is also used as a hangover remedy.
Umeboshi plum is also used as a hangover remedy.

So popular is the umeboshi plum that even Japanese children are convinced it’s a treat. They beg for a crunchy candy version of the dried fruit, called karikari ume. Their parents have their own adult version of the treat, in which an umeboshi plum is tucked into the bottom of a shochu, which is a grappa-like distilled cocktail.

Other common uses of umeboshi include being added to dishes as a flavor enhancer or served premeal as an appetite enhancer in a cup of hot water, called umeshu. Some folks like umeboshi in combination with green tea. Umezuke, or ume that has been pickled and jarred rather than dried, is served as a side dish or condiment.

People may enjoy umeboshi in combination with green tea.
People may enjoy umeboshi in combination with green tea.

Many a Japanese parent will try to convince sick children to take okayu, a rice and umeboshi soup, when a cold has sapped their energy. This is easier to do than one might think, since historically, the famous Samurai warriors turned to umeboshi when they were battle weary. If it was good enough for the Samurai, most children may decide that it must be very good indeed.

Discussion Comments

fBoyle

I've heard that in the past, umeboshi was just used as a medicine. It wasn't eaten with meals as it was now. I was eaten as a supplement or a tonic, as a disinfectant or to strengthen the immune system. So its introduction to foods is a relatively new development.

I'm not fond of pickled umeboshi but I do like sweet umeboshi candy. I think only children in Japan have this sweet candy but regular umeboshi is too sour for me.

ddljohn

@candyquilt-- You can eat them with sushi or in rice balls. I've never had them in soup or tea. I usually have them in rice balls. I should warn you however that you may not like the taste at first. So if you have any friends who consume this regularly, you might want to just taste it first.

I love umeboshi but it is very different for non-Japanese. It's very true that it's an acquired taste for those who did not grow up eating it.

Having said that, it is becoming more popular in the West because it's a superfood and good for so many different things.

candyquilt

I was at the Asian market the other day and noticed a Japanese product -- umeboshi pickled plums. They looked very interesting -- pickled red umeboshi plums with some liquid. I didn't buy them though because I had no idea how they taste or what they could be good for. I'm very happy to hear that these are very beneficial plums. I'll be sure to buy them next time. But how should I consume them, as a side dish or with rice?

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    • Kombu, which is sometimes used to cure umeboshi plums.
      By: Jovan Nikolic
      Kombu, which is sometimes used to cure umeboshi plums.
    • Umeboshi plum is also used as a hangover remedy.
      By: Focus Pocus LTD
      Umeboshi plum is also used as a hangover remedy.
    • People may enjoy umeboshi in combination with green tea.
      By: Warren Goldswain
      People may enjoy umeboshi in combination with green tea.