Umeboshi (Japanese: 干し, pronounced , ) are pickled (brined) ume fruits common in Japanese cuisine. The word umeboshi is often translated into English as 'salted Japanese plums', 'Japanese plums' or 'preserved plums'. Ume ( Prunus mume) is a species of fruit-bearing tree in the genus Prunus, which is often called a "plum", but is actually more closely related to the apricot.
Umeboshi are a popular kind of Japanese tsukemono ('pickled thing'; preserved or pickling) and are extremely sour and salty. Sweet umeboshi made with honey also exist. They are usually served as a side dish for rice or eaten on onigiri (often without removing the pit) for breakfast and lunch. They are occasionally served boiled or seasoned for dinner.[
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Physical characteristics
Umeboshi are usually round and vary from smooth to very wrinkled. Usually they taste salty, and are extremely
sour due to high
citric acid content, but sweeter versions exist as well.
[Itoh, Makiko, "
target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> Umeboshi: perfect in any culinary pickle", Japan Times, 25 May 2012, p. 18]
Production
The central area of Wakayama prefecture is known throughout Japan for the quantity and quality of its ume and umeboshi. The town of Minabe, Wakayama, in particular, grows more ume and produces more umeboshi than any other town in Japan.
Umeboshi are traditionally made by harvesting
ume fruit when they ripen around June and packing them in barrels with 20%
Edible salt 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 (; often calqued as 'ume vinegar', although it is not a true
vinegar.)
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 or even sweetened with honey. 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, for added flavor. It is also a common ingredient in
onigiri, rice balls wrapped with
nori and they may also be used in
sushi.
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) 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".[" Umeboshi: World's Strangest Hangover Cures." Travel and Leisure. Retrieved on March 8, 2009.] 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
File:Yaki-onigiri and umeboshi by Ms President.jpg|With grilled onigiri
File:Ume shiso soba, negitoro rice (30337331526).jpg|With soba 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
herbal 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 effects, and "suggested that ume has the potential to inhibit mast cell 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 日本食品標準成分表)
]
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Direct link to the XLSX file:
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Item No.=07022 "Umeboshi" (pickled and dried mume), salted pickles (traditional salty recipe)
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Item No.=07023 "Umeboshi" (pickled and dried mume), seasoned pickles (reduced-salt version)
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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.
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Energy 138 kJ
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Protein 0.9 g
-
Fat 0.2 g
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Carbohydrate 10.5 g
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Sodium 8700 mg
-
Potassium 440 mg
-
Manganese 0.23 mg
-
VitaminA 7 μg
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VitaminB1 0.02 mg
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VitaminB2 0.01 mg
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Cholesterol 0 mg
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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, 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 to Mexico, where it is known as chamoy and is usually made with apricot, ume or tamarind and a mix of salt and dry chili.
In South Asian countries, Indian gooseberries called amla in Hindi or amala in Nepali language is prepared in similar way, sometimes with sugar syrup.
In South Africa, a similar style of preserved dried fruit is called mebos in Afrikaans, 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
See also
External links
