is a Japanese

liqueur A liqueur ( , ; ) is an alcoholic drink composed of Liquor, spirits (often rectified spirit) and additional flavorings such as sugar, fruits, herbs, and spices. Often served with or after dessert, they are typically heavily sweetened and un-age ...

made by

steeping Steeping is the soaking of an organic solid, such as leaves, in a liquid (usually water) to extract flavours or to soften it. The specific process of teas being prepared for drinking by leaving the leaves in heated water to release the flavour ...

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 ...

'' plums (while still unripe and green) in and

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...

. It has a sweet, sour taste, and an

alcohol Alcohol may refer to: Common uses * Alcohol (chemistry), a class of compounds * Ethanol, one of several alcohols, commonly known as alcohol in everyday life ** Alcohol (drug), intoxicant found in alcoholic beverages ** Alcoholic beverage, an alco ...

content of 10–15%. Famous brands of ''umeshu'' include Choya, Takara Shuzo and Matsuyuki. Varieties are available with whole ''ume'' fruits contained in the bottle, and some people make their own ''umeshu'' at home. Japanese restaurants serve many different varieties of ''umeshu'' and also make

cocktail A cocktail is a mixed drink, usually alcoholic beverage, alcoholic. Most commonly, a cocktail is a combination of one or more liquor, spirits mixed with other ingredients, such as juices, flavored syrups, tonic water, Shrub (drink), shrubs, and ...

s. Umeshu on the Rocks (pronounced ''umeshu rokku''), Umeshu Sour (pronounced ''umeshu sawa''), Umeshu Tonic (with

tonic water Tonic water is a carbonated soft drink in which quinine is dissolved. Originally used as a prophylactic against malaria, modern tonic water typically has a significantly lower quinine content and is often more sweetened than the original medic ...

), and Umeshu Soda (with

carbonated water Carbonated water is water containing dissolved carbon dioxide gas, either artificially injected under pressure, or occurring due to natural geological processes. Carbonation causes small bubbles to form, giving the water an effervescent quali ...

) are popular. It is sometimes mixed with

green tea Green tea is a type of tea made from the leaves and buds of the '' Camellia sinensis'' that have not undergone the withering and oxidation process that creates oolong teas and black teas. Green tea originated in China in the late 1st millenn ...

(o-cha-wari) or warm water (o-yu-wari). ''Umeshu'' can be served at different temperatures; chilled or with ice, room temperature, or even hot in the winter. Umeshu can be made either from real plum fruit, or using additive flavours and perfumes to emulate the taste of plums. Umeshu which is made from exclusively plum fruit (without additives) will be labelled as Honkaku Umeshu and will typically be made only from ume fruit, sugar, and alcohol.

Homemade umeshu

* Main ingredients include: **

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 ** Sugar (rock) **

Shōchū is a Japanese distilled beverage. It is typically distilled from rice, barley, sweet potatoes, buckwheat, or brown sugar, though it is sometimes produced from other ingredients such as chestnut, sesame seeds, potatoes, or even carrots. Typ ...

* Traditional recipe: ** Ume fruit 1 kg ** Sugar 500g–1 kg (rock/cubes) ** Shōchū 1.8l * After three months in a cold and dark place, it is ready to be consumed (although it is better to wait at least six months) Umeshu should be allowed to mature for at least nine months.

References

External links

* * *
A recipe for umeshu

Umeshuthai
Rice wine Japanese liqueurs Plum liqueurs {{Japan-cuisine-stub

Homemade umeshu

See also

References

External links