Umeboshi - the salty plum from Japan

Umeboshi are Japanese plums pickled in salt and red shiso leaves, often served in bento boxes. Despite being botanically closer to apricots, Umeboshi (梅 ume "plum" and 干し -boshi) are referred to as "dried plums" in Japan. Ume trees bloom among the first in spring and hold significance in Japanese culture.
Harvesting and making Umeboshi
For their production, still unripe Ume fruits are harvested from the tree in early summer and laid out in large containers to be covered with plenty of salt. A heavy lid is placed on the fruits to accelerate water removal and quickly dry the fruit. The Ume is preserved for one to two months during lactic acid fermentation. Subsequently, the fruit is left outdoors for a maximum of one week to completely dry. The red color comes from Shiso leaves, a culinary herb, in which they are then soaked along with the obtained fermenting liquid for another week. Finally, the fruits need to be layered in barrels with Shiso leaves and left to dry and age for another 1-2 years.
Traditionally made Umeboshi are infinitely durable due to their production process, whereas those produced on a larger scale require careful consideration of durability. Because of their salty and fruity-sour taste, Umeboshi are consumed only in small quantities. They are often served as a side dish to rice and in a bento box or processed into a paste, puree, or powder. Umeboshi paste, for example, serves as an intense seasoning for salad dressings, tofu, dips, or vegetables.
Wasabi-Umeboshi Plum Sake Sauce









1 teaspoon
Wasabi powder
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1 teaspoon
Wasabi, freshly grated
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1 tablespoon
water
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4-5 teaspoons
soy sauce
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3 tablespoons
Dashi
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1 teaspoon
black pepper
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1 pinch
sugar
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2 pieces
Umeboshi fruits (alternative: organic umeboshi paste)
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1 glove
garlic (pressed or cut into thin slices)
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2 tablespoon
sake
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