''Umeboshi'' ( Japanese: 梅干し, pronounced , ) are pickled ( brined) ''

ume ''Prunus mume'', the Chinese plum or Japanese apricot, is a tree species in the family Rosaceae. Along with bamboo, the plant is intimately associated with art, literature, and everyday life in China, from where it was then introduced to Kor ...

'' fruits common in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. The word ''umeboshi'' is often translated into English as 'salted Japanese plums', 'Japanese plums' or 'preserved plums'. ''Ume'' (''

Prunus mume ''Prunus mume'', the Chinese plum or Japanese apricot, is a tree species in the family Rosaceae. Along with bamboo, the plant is intimately associated with art, literature, and everyday life in China, from where it was then introduced to Kor ...

'') is a species of fruit-bearing tree in the genus ''

Prunus ''Prunus'' is a genus of flowering plant, flowering trees and shrubs from the family (biology), family Rosaceae. The genus includes plums, cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots and almonds (collectively Drupe, stonefruit). The genus has a cosm ...

'', which is often called a "

plum A plum is a fruit of some species in Prunus subg. Prunus, ''Prunus'' subg. ''Prunus'.'' Dried plums are often called prunes, though in the United States they may be labeled as 'dried plums', especially during the 21st century. Plums are ...

", but is actually more closely related to the

apricot An apricot (, ) is a fruit, or the tree that bears the fruit, of several species in the genus ''Prunus''. Usually an apricot is from the species '' P. armeniaca'', but the fruits of the other species in ''Prunus'' sect. ''Armeniaca'' are also ...

. Pickled ''ume'' which are not dried are called ''umezuke'' (梅漬け). Umeboshi are a popular kind of Japanese '' tsukemono'' ('pickled thing'; preserved or fermented) and are extremely sour and salty. Sweet umeboshi made with

honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several species of bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of pl ...

also exist. They are usually served as a

side dish A side dish, sometimes referred to as a side order, side item, or simply a side, is a food item that accompanies the entrée or main course at a meal.rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...

or eaten on rice balls (often without removing the pit) for breakfast and lunch. They are occasionally served boiled or seasoned for dinner.

Physical characteristics

Umeboshi are usually round and vary from smooth to very wrinkled. Usually they taste salty, and are extremely

sour The gustatory system or sense of taste is the sensory system that is partially responsible for the perception of taste. Taste is the perception stimulated when a substance in the mouth biochemistry, reacts chemically with taste receptor cells l ...

due to high

citric acid Citric acid is an organic compound with the formula . It is a Transparency and translucency, colorless Weak acid, weak organic acid. It occurs naturally in Citrus, citrus fruits. In biochemistry, it is an intermediate in the citric acid cycle, ...

content, but sweeter versions exist as well.Itoh, Makiko,
Umeboshi: perfect in any culinary pickle
, ''

Japan Times ''The Japan Times'' is Japan's largest and oldest English-language daily newspaper. It is published by , a subsidiary of News2u Holdings, Inc. It is headquartered in the in Kioicho, Chiyoda, Tokyo. History ''The Japan Times'' was launched by ...

'', 25 May 2012, p. 18

Production

The central area of

Wakayama prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Wakayama Prefecture has a population of 876,030 () and a geographic area of . Wakayama Prefecture borders Osaka Prefecture to the north, and Mie Prefecture and Nara Prefecture to ...

is known throughout Japan for the quantity and quality of its ume and umeboshi. The town of

Minabe, Wakayama 270px, Minabe Town Hall is a small town located in Hidaka District, Wakayama Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 12,137 in 4725 households and a population density of 100 persons per km². The tota ...

, in particular, grows more ume and produces more umeboshi than any other town in Japan. Umeboshi are traditionally made by harvesting

fruit when they ripen around June and packing them in barrels with 20%

salt In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as r ...

per weight of fruit. The salt extracts juice, which the ume then soak in for about two weeks. This salty, sour liquid is marketed as '' umezu'' ( 梅酢; often calqued as 'ume vinegar', although it is not a true

vinegar Vinegar () is an aqueous solution of diluted acetic acid and trace compounds that may include flavorings. Vinegar typically contains from 5% to 18% acetic acid by volume. Usually, the acetic acid is produced by a double fermentation, converting ...

.) Many varieties of umeboshi sold on the market are desalinated to a certain extent and re-soaked in a flavoring liquid. They are sometimes dyed red using purple perilla herbs (called ''akajiso'') or flavoured with '' katsuobushi'', ''

kombu ''Konbu'' (from ) is edible kelp mostly from the family Laminariaceae and is widely eaten in East Asia. It may also be referred to as ''dasima'' () or ''haidai'' (). Kelp features in the diets of many civilizations, including Chinese and Icela ...

'' or even sweetened with

. Because these flavored varieties end up at 3% to 15% salt content, they usually contain a natural or artificial preservative to extend shelf life. Natural preservatives include vinegar, alcohol and vitamin B1.

Consumption

Umeboshi are usually eaten in small quantities with

rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...

, for added flavor. It is also a common ingredient in ''

onigiri , also known as or , is a Japanese cuisine, Japanese rice ball made from white rice. It is usually formed into triangular or cylindrical shapes, and wrapped in ''nori'' (seaweed). Onigiri traditionally have sour or salty fillings such as ''um ...

'', rice balls wrapped with '' nori'' and they may also be used in '' makizushi''. ''Makizushi'' made with umeboshi may be made with either pitted umeboshi or umeboshi paste (which is cheaper), often in conjunction with slivered fresh green perilla (''shiso'') leaves. The standard Japanese folk remedy for colds and flus is '' okayu'' (rice

congee Congee ( , derived from Tamil language, Tamil ), is a form of savoury rice porridge made by boiling rice in a large amount of water until the rice softens. Depending on rice–water ratio, the thickness of congee varies from a Western oatmeal ...

) with umeboshi. Another usage of umeboshi is in ume chazuke, a dish of rice with poured-in green tea topped with umeboshi. Umeboshi were esteemed by the samurai to combat battle fatigue, a function of their salt and citric acid content, among other factors. Salt, citric acid, and polyphenols also contribute to their antimicrobial activity, so they are a natural preservative for foods and help prevent food poisoning and other bacterial stomach problems. Umeboshi is used as a cooking accent to enhance flavor and presentation. They may also be served as a complement of a drink with '' shōchū'' and hot water. Umeboshi are often eaten as snacks; in the United States and Australia, many Japanese grocery stores stock them. Eating umeboshi in Japan is the equivalent of the English expression "an apple a day". Children's candy shops sometimes carry '' karikari ume'', or prepackaged, crunchy pickled ume, and dried umeboshi. Bento boxes that contain a single umiboshi over rice are called '' Hinomaru bentō'', because the red ume on white rice resembles the Japanese flag. Due to the low amount of ingredients, ''Hinomaru bentō'' was traditionally regarded as a low-cost meal. File:Cold Udon with Plum and Seaweed at Muguinbō, Shinagawa Kitchen (20230801172642).jpg, With

udon Udon ( or ) is a thick noodle made from wheat flour, used in Japanese cuisine. There are a variety of ways it is prepared and served. Its simplest form is in a soup as with a mild broth called made from dashi, soy sauce, and mirin. It is usual ...

File:Yaki-onigiri and umeboshi by Ms President.jpg, With grilled

File:Ume shiso soba, negitoro rice (30337331526).jpg, With

soba Soba ( or , "buckwheat") are Japanese noodles made primarily from buckwheat flour, with a small amount of wheat flour mixed in. It has an ashen brown color, and a slightly grainy texture. The noodles are served either chilled with a dipping sau ...

and negitoro File:しそかつお梅 (281888083).jpg, Pickled with red shiso

Health

This Japanese style traditional condiment is believed to be a digestive aid, for prevention of nausea and systemic toxicity, including hangovers. Green ume extract is used as a tonic in Japan. The citric acid is believed to act as an antibacterial, help to increase saliva production and assist in the digestion of rice. Additionally, umeboshi is claimed to combat fatigue (historically given as part of a samurai's field ration) and protect against aging. According to a 2018 study, umeboshi may have anti-

allergic Allergies, also known as allergic diseases, are various conditions caused by hypersensitivity of the immune system to typically harmless substances in the environment. These diseases include hay fever, food allergies, atopic dermatitis, alle ...

effects, and "suggested that ''ume'' has the potential to inhibit

mast cell A mast cell (also known as a mastocyte or a labrocyte) is a resident cell of connective tissue that contains many granules rich in histamine and heparin. Specifically, it is a type of granulocyte derived from the myeloid stem cell that is a p ...

degranulation and may be associated with reduced risk of allergic symptoms in women."

Nutrition

Pitted traditional umeboshi per 100 g contains: (English version of the :ja:日本食品標準成分表) * Direct link to the XLSX file: * Item No.=07022 "Umeboshi" (pickled and dried mume), salted pickles (traditional salty recipe) * Item No.=07023 "Umeboshi" (pickled and dried mume), seasoned pickles (reduced-salt version) * Column W: Sodium (mg/100g); Column BE: Salt equivalent (g/100g). "Salt equivalent" is not "Sodium". In Japanese food labels, the amount of sodium is often not printed and salt equivalent value is used instead, which is roughly 2.5 times larger than the amount of sodium. *Energy 138 kJ *Protein 0.9 g *Fat 0.2 g *Carbohydrate 10.5 g *Sodium 8700 mg *Potassium 440 mg *Manganese 0.23 mg *VitaminA 7 μg *VitaminB₁ 0.02 mg *VitaminB₂ 0.01 mg *Cholesterol 0 mg *Dietary fiber 3.6 g *Water 65.1 g Traditional (non-reduced sodium versions) umeboshi are roughly one quarter salt.

Similar foods

The umeboshi style of pickling is common in Japan and is similar in style to other Asian preserved pickling techniques found in China, Vietnam, and Korea.The 150 healthiest foods on earth. By Johnny Bowden In Vietnam, a very similar variety of pickled ume is called ''xí muội'' or '. In the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

, this is called kiamoy or tsampoy, and is usually drier. Kiamoy and tsampoy were two types of Filipino-Chinese plum pickle that was transported via the

Manila galleon The Manila galleon (; ) refers to the Spain, Spanish trading Sailing ship, ships that linked the Philippines in the Spanish East Indies to Mexico (New Spain), across the Pacific Ocean. The ships made one or two round-trip voyages per year betwe ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

, where it is known as '' chamoy'' and is usually made with

tamarind Tamarind (''Tamarindus indica'') is a Legume, leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is indigenous to tropical Africa and naturalized in Asia. The genus ''Tamarindus'' is monotypic taxon, monotypic, meaning that it contains only this spe ...

and a mix of salt and dry chili. In

South Asian South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...

countries, Indian gooseberries called ''amla'' in

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

or ''amala'' in Nepali is prepared in similar way, sometimes with sugar syrup. In South Africa, a similar style of preserved dried fruit is called ''mebos'' in

Afrikaans Afrikaans is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language spoken in South Africa, Namibia and to a lesser extent Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and also Argentina where there is a group in Sarmiento, Chubut, Sarmiento that speaks the Pat ...

, the name of which seems to derive from the Japanese via Dutch trade. Usually, apricot is used to produce a salty, acidic variety, although other, sweetened varieties made from other fruits are also colloquially called ''mebos''.

In popular culture

Umeboshi is mentioned in '' Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair'' as being a food Sonia Nevermind dislikes. In the manga series '' Fairy Tail'', umeboshi is listed as Wendy Marvell's sole dislike; the anime expands on this by having Gray Fullbuster and Loke "defeat" her in battle at one point by eating them in front of her, causing her to run away in fear. In the second episode of '' Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure'', Sora Harewataru is given umeboshi with her breakfast, which she dislikes.

References

External links

Homemade pickled ume and various recipes
{{Authority control Japanese cuisine Japanese pickles Plum dishes