Tuesday, 30 June 2009
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Umeboshi: Japanese Salty Pickled Plum
Umeboshi is a pickled ume plum that is popular in Japan. A single umeboshi on top of a bowl of rice like in the picture above is supposed to recreate the Japanese flag! It is believed to inhibit bacteria and improve digestion in the body. The citric acid in umeboshi is also supposed to help your body fight fatigue and prevent aging. However, the sodium content is HUGE! A medium-size umeboshi has up to 8100mg of sodium in it. That is about 3-4 times the upper limit of daily recommended sodium intake!
I was reminded of umeboshi when joycemiles mentioned umeshu (plum wine) in my beer post. I mixed up umeshu with umeboshi, so I decided to research both. Umeboshi is prepared around this time of year (mid to end of June) when the ume plums are very hard and sour. They can be preserved for a very long time. There are some umeboshi that are over 100 years old!
I heard it is an acquired taste. The first time I heard of umeboshi was on America's Next Top Model. I know.. ANTM is not the most mind-stimulating show to watch! And it's reality TV... but I really love it when the contestants compete in a foreign country. This season's foreign country was Japan and one of their challenges was to sell umeboshi and eat it!
The last contestant, Yaya, actually spit the umeboshi out while trying to sell the product. She couldn't even swallow it! Tyra Banks said that Yaya was incredibly disrespectful to the Japanese culture.
There are a lot of people out there that dislike trying new foods or foods that seem strange. One of my biggest pet peeves is a picky eater! I'm the complete opposite: I love trying new stuff! I am going to look for umeboshi when I go back to my hometown, Vancouver, next month. I really wonder if I will like it or not. It can't be THAT bad can it???
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Comments (16)
I LOVE umeboshi! But I HATE the ANTM challenge where they had to do the commercial. Why does every American fucktard think that the vowels in Japanese are fucking interchangeable??? (Note: I am American, and I am probably a fucktard, but I am not a complete fucktard when it comes to Japanese).
pass by
comment`=)
dried/preserved fruits are staples of asian snacks
/endpassby
Umeboshi is actually very tasty. The way I eat it is mixing with rice or as a filling in Onigiri, it's very salty so a little bit goes a long way. Its great for a post workout snack especially if you're doing a lot of cardio in the hot weather such as long distance running.
mmmm :) I absolutely looove Umeboshi! My great grandmother and I used to make them together when I was younger. It was fun :)
And even for the people who don't like sour- you can have the umeboshi with honey in it- and that in itself is AMAAAZING.
@xfriendlythinspox - @Lovely_reflection - yes! people who love umeboshi!
@joycemiles - Or "amebushi," according to America's Next Top Model.
Umeboshi = pickled plum
Ame Bushi = candied warrior
I really like the Chinese dried plum "hua mei".
@xfriendlythinspox - LOL!!!!!!!!!!
I actually like umeboshi. My friend's mom makes them home-made (in Nagoya) and sends them to us in NY.
i remember watching that on antm! haha i hate umeboshi. but since my parents are from japan, they love it.
@xfriendlythinspox - haha that's hilarious. I didn't know you can speak Japanese! so cool
I feel you! I'm also down to try anything. I don't believe you can say you don't like something when you haven't even tasted it yet.
I let my baby Moreno taste anything so he can get a wide taste, unlike his father, which annoys me to bits! Thank goodness the baby likes everything I put on his plate so far.
But err.. I've never tried umeboshi. Never actually heard of it.
@Novietaaa - aww that's so cute! I guess because your baby doesn't have as much of a conscious choice of his food like his father does! I heard kids are really picky eaters but can grow out of it. That's what happened to me at least~
@lizzie_wizzie - I started taking Japanese when I was 6. I'm still not fluent, haha.
Take care! <3
I LOVE umeboshi plums! But they are VERY salty. I would eat it just a teeny nip at a time, just before a bite of rice, millet, etc. I've never tried the honey thing, as mentioned above. I'd like to further explore that!
Happy belated Canada day Lizzie! Hope u made LOTS of potatoes to celebrate this special day ^.^
Umeboshi? I will try that once I get to Japan.