umeboshi

[WhatsCookin]

At the craft bazaar at Simpson UMC in Denver, I purchased yummy rice krispie o-nigiri. These are your basic rice krispie treats shaped in a triangular o-nigiri mold and wrapped with a strip of nori.

Inside they had umeboshi, but they were a little sweeter and drier than the standard sour, water-packed kind. Any ideas whether these would have been store-bought or homemade? My daughter is obsessed with all things kawaii and wants to bring some to family potlucks.

Thanks,

Karen

[JasonTrue]

Usu-jio (low-salt) umeboshi are a bit sweeter, generally, although some umeboshi, even from upscale places in Japan, are actually sweetened with maltose or other sugars.

I have seen usu-jio umeboshi at my local Japanese supermarket, Uwajimaya (disclaimer: they are a customer of mine). In Denver, I'm not sure... My favorite Denver Japanese restaurant (ok, the only one I've been to) is Domo, by Gaku Homma, and he's from around Akita, so I doubt he uses anything low in salt.

At the craft bazaar at Simpson UMC in Denver, I purchased yummy rice krispie o-nigiri. These are your basic rice krispie treats shaped in a triangular o-nigiri mold and wrapped with a strip of nori.

Inside they had umeboshi, but they were a little sweeter and drier than the standard sour, water-packed kind. Any ideas whether these would have been store-bought or homemade? My daughter is obsessed with all things kawaii and wants to bring some to family potlucks.

Thanks,

Karen

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[torakris]

Umeboshi come in many kinds.

I noticed you said water-packed, these ones are probably crunchier and quite sour.

Most of the umeboshi used in onigiri are of the softer type and look like this

These can vary in taste from mouthpuckering sour/saltiness to sweet as candy. What you will want to look for is the salt content. This is almost always displayed right on the package, even if you don't read Jaapnese all you have to do is look for the percentage mark. The package above says 6%, this is about the least salty they come so you will want to look for something around this. The higher the percentage the saltier they are, I honestly don't know how people can eat some of those 13-14% ones.

[WhatsCookin]

Many thanks to both of you!

I noticed you said water-packed, these ones are probably crunchier and quite sour.

I guess I meant "soft and squishy," as I see that the aka umeboshi in my fridge are not actually floating in water.

What you will want to look for is the salt content.

Good advice! I can read kana, so I have figured out that "natoriumu" is the sodium content. My aka umeboshi have 910mg per 2 plum serving, so I bet I'll really like the lower sodium varieties. I think the umeboshi in the treats were about the consistency of raisins - anything wetter might have dissolved the rice krispie cereal. That makes me wonder if the cook dehydrated them?

I'll definitely read the umeboshi thread - thanks! And I'm sure I'll be back when I start translating some of the recipes from the (very silly) character bento books I got from Sasuga.

Edited November 22, 2005 by WhatsCookin (log)

[torakris]

Having read this thread after coming directly from the crispy rice thread, I must have misread your original post....

I didn't realize you said rice krispie snack and in my head I was thinking crispy rice, something like an onigiri.

Umeboshi in rice krispie snack???!!

were they about the size of raisins? I can't really think of any umeboshi I have eaten that were the consistency of raisins unless they were dried ones that had been rehydrated.

Did they say they were umeboshi? could they have been kukonomi?

kukonomi

these are often used in sweets here, though usually those that are Chinese in origin, sorry but for the life of me I can't remember their English name....

[WhatsCookin]

Umeboshi in rice krispie snack???!!

Yeah, I know. I think if they had been as sour as regular umeboshi it wouldn't have worked at all. It was still a little weird, but I'm Midwestern enough to think that umeboshi in regular o-nigiri are weird too.

were they about the size of raisins? I can't really think of any umeboshi I have eaten that were the consistency of raisins unless they were dried ones that had been rehydrated.

Did they say they were umeboshi? could they have been kukonomi?

Well, okay, I guess I mean they had the moisture content of a raisin. Maybe they were wetter. They definitely seemed like umeboshi, and not another dried fruit.

Of course they were made by a Japanese American woman who seemed to have a catering business, so she may not want to divulge her secrets. I'll ask around at Thanksgiving with the Mizoue clan. Thanks for all the help!

[Hiroyuki]

Today, I made another batch of umeboshi paste. I added a special ingredient this time, Ebisume (salted kelp) of Oguraya Yamamoto.

Top: Finely cut Ebisume

Bottom: Ebisume in its original size (about 1-inch square)

Finished umeboshi paste and Ebisume

My mother sends me a box of Ebisume every year. You know why? An acquaintance of my father's sends it to him every year, as a summer gift (ochugen), but neither my father or mother likes it, so she kindly sends it to me along with other foodstuffs.

[_john]

A few days ago I bought a big package of hachimitsu umeboshi that was on sale. They are very sour, much more so than normal umeboshi. I wanted to use that sourness in some sort of cooking so I tried to think of good ideas to highlight the flavor of umeboshi. I finally decided to attempt a hachimitsu umeboshi sorbet! I used standard sorbet technique and made a simple syrup to which I added honey and paste made from the hachimitsu umbeboshi. I used a 1:1:1 ratio (by weight) of sugar/honey, water, and umeboshi paste. It is currently hardening in my freezer after I stirred in the initial ice crystals. A taste test suggested it will be pretty tasty. I will post a picture of it when I serve some (waiting for guests, or a warm day maybe.). Im thinking of serving it on top of an akashiso leaf. Has anyone ever had frozen umeboshi based items before?

[torakris]

Has anyone ever had frozen umeboshi based items before?

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Never even thought of it....

Please let us know how it turns out, this sounds very interesting!

[helenjp]

I had a whole batch of umeboshi that I made in extreme haste one year - so I turned half of them in to an umeboshi paste similar to the one Hiroyuki mentioned way up thread - I used about 2 cups of seeded umeboshi, and about 1 cup of black sugar and at least 3 chunks of fresh ginger, shredded. That has mellowed very nicely.

I made a umeboshi/miso/sesame/scallions paste with another 2 cups, and this has been great in onigiri or on yaki-onigiri. 2 parts umeboshi flesh (coarsely minced). 2 parts finely chopped scallions, 1 part sesame seeds (toasted) 1 part ground toasted sesame seeds, 1 - 2 parts brown or dark red miso, 0.5 part raw sugar, 0.5 part brown sesame oil. I simmered this for a while to mellow it. Again, it tastes much better now after about a week than the day I made it.

[Hiroyuki]

I had a whole batch of umeboshi that I made in extreme haste one year - so I turned half of them in to an umeboshi paste similar to the one Hiroyuki mentioned way up thread - I used about 2 cups of seeded umeboshi, and about 1 cup of black sugar and at least 3 chunks of fresh ginger, shredded. That has mellowed very nicely.

I made a umeboshi/miso/sesame/scallions paste with another 2 cups, and this has been great in onigiri or on yaki-onigiri. 2 parts umeboshi flesh (coarsely minced). 2 parts finely chopped scallions, 1 part sesame seeds (toasted) 1 part ground toasted sesame seeds, 1 - 2 parts brown or dark red miso, 0.5 part raw sugar, 0.5 part brown sesame oil. I simmered this for a while to mellow it. Again, it tastes much better now after about a week than the day I made it.

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Umeboshi, black sugar, and shredded ginger... I've never thought of that combination! I can't imagine what the paste will taste like.

[helenjp]

The ginger just "warms" up the sourness of the umeboshi. It is still very sour - the sugar just mellows it a bit. It might be different with store-bought umeboshi - these were VERY sour ones! It actually tastes very nice ...a bit addictive.

[helenjp]

Time to dry your umeboshi if you pickled them this year! Not the best weather for it, unfortunately.

I'm making some honey umeboshi too...some people pickle them in honey and salt, but I've soaked some old umeboshi for a couple of days, and am drying them for a day or two before packing them in honey for a few weeks.

[Hiroyuki]

Got these honey umeboshi from a relative as a year-end gift (o-seibo):

They are less salty (salt content: 8%) than traditional ones (approx. 20%). In Japan, this type of un-dried umeboshi has become so popular these days, but I still prefer the traditional ones made by my mother. Besides, calling these new ones umeboshi is inappropriate because they are not dried. For those of you who can't understand what I mean, boshi means something dried, as in ni boshi (boiled and dried (fish)) and kiri boshi daikon (cut and dried daikon).

[helenjp]

They are dried, they're just soaked again afterwards usually!

Some people seem to include honey with the salt right at the beginning. I soak ordinary umeboshi for a day or two (changing the water) to reduce the salt content, then dry them again, and soak them in honey. They are perfect for son2's bento, as he doesn't like the super-sour ones I make for my husband.

[Hiroyuki]

They are dried, they're just soaked again afterwards usually!

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Are you sure, Helen? I didn't know that! But I'm sure they don't practice doyo boshi..., right?

Whether they are dried or not, I really don't think these umeboshi go well with rice. They should be eaten by themselves or probably with hot green tea at oyatsu (3 o'clock snack) time.

[helenjp]

I'm pretty sure they *do* carry out doyou-boshi - Chinese umeboshi are not dried that way, and they look quite different.

This recipe shows the normal pickling procedure, with honey and shouchuu used in addition to salt at the main pickling stage. I think that's the standard way to make honey umeboshi at home.

I've never made them that way, because Tokyo summers are so hot these days that I think they would ferment very strongly!

I'm sure the store-bought ones are intended to be eaten as a kind of confectionery, with tea. They are extremely sweet - even though I soak mine in honey, they still are nowhere as sweet as the ones you can buy! However, since I make my own umeboshi, even ordinary salted umeboshi seem very sweet to me.

[Hiroyuki]

shinju, do you know how to make honey ume (and katsuo ume)?

If you don't, here is how (in Japanese):

http://mamacita.milkcafe.to/recipe/obaachan/hatimituume.htm

I learned today from the TV program, Me Ga Ten, that new types of umeboshi with low salt contents (such as 12, 10, and 7%) are made with umeboshi with salt contents of 20% or greater and that these types are called not umeboshi but choumi (seasoned) umeboshi. Another interesting fact that I learned from the program is that many young Japanese today do not know what real umeboshi are because they have never had them before.

Edited to add:

In that TV program, they did a small survey: People on the street were asked to eat each one of umeboshi with salt contents of 20, 12, 10, and 7% and say which one they liked the most. None of those who were under their 50s said they liked the 20% one, while 4 of those who were in their 50s or older said they liked it.

Salt content/Number of those under their 50s who liked it/Number of those in their 50s or older who liked it

20%: 0/4

12%: 2/2

10%: 3/2

7%: 5/2

Another interesting fact: Contrary to common belief, ume fruits are not so toxic as you would imagine. While the seeds contains amygdalin, the flesh contains a very small amount of it, so poses little health risk unless you eat a large amount of it.

Edited June 17, 2007 by Hiroyuki (log)

[shinju]

Thank you Hiroyuki for posting the thread above - this is such a coincidence because I've been on umeboshi kick lately making different things using umeboshi after trying your katuso ume recipe you posted. No, I have not heard of honey ume, but it sounds much like something I made called umebishio. Only my recipe used 10 umeboshi, sugar 20-30% weight of umeboshi and 2 T mirin. You soak umeboshi in water just like the honey ume, but with umebishio, you make a paste of umeboshi and add sugar and mirin and simmer until surface turns shiny. It looks like this:

http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/11821041...06_722_3775.jpg

I grew up eating umeboshi and tsukemono and I find that many umeboshi sold now are very sweet and soft. Although they are fine for munching, I prefer saltier and firmer umeboshi with rice.

When I was a child I had to use a hammer to smash the pit after chipping my tooth from crunching the pit too many times. I still place umeboshi pit in my tea after eating umeboshi.

Within last week I also made ume miso - 50 gram white miso, 2 T mirin and 1 recipe umebishio. Simmered. Ume mayo dip - 1/3 C mayo, 1 -2 umeboshi (minced), 2 T sour cream, 1 tsp sugar, and 2 tsp warm water - all combined. Ume tsuyu for hiyashi chuka or salad dressing - 2 umeboshi (minced), 2 T sugar, 2 T rice vinegar, 3 T shoyu, 1 tsp sesame oil, and 1/2 C water - combined. I also added 2 tsp miso the second time I made this and came out very good.

[shinju]

Help, why isn't my picture showing here?

[shinju]

I figured it out - sorry!

[greenspot]

Hi, I'm new to eGullet!

I only recently got into umeboshi when I lived in Japan last year (I'm now in Hong Kong). I wasn't aware of the differences in the salt content and ended up buying incredibly salty and sour umeboshi.

I also made the mistake of popping the salty ume whole into my mouth! The experience reminded me of the delicious salty-sour-sweet taste of waa mui - dried sour Chinese plums - but the ume I bought didn't have the sweetness to balance the saltiness.

Besides umeboshi o-nigiri, I've tried umeboshi sour. But I must admit I found the saltiness a bit strange in an alcoholic drink.

I remember trying a huge, juicy unsalty ume at Tanaka-ya, a soba and udon restaurant in the Matsuya department store, Ginza. The ume topped a dish of cold soba noodles with grated daikon, katsuoboshi, nori, negi. The ume was the best I've tried so far. (The smaller dish is goma-tofu - cold sesame tofu.)

I wonder if the ume in the photo was the hachimitsu ume mentioned earlier.

Helenjp, I enjoyed reading your photo blog on pickling umeboshi.

Edited June 18, 2007 by greenspot (log)

[Hiroyuki]

Thank you Hiroyuki for posting the thread above - this is such a coincidence because I've been on umeboshi kick lately making different things using umeboshi after trying your katuso ume recipe you posted.  No, I have not heard of honey ume, but it sounds much like something I made called umebishio.  Only my recipe used 10 umeboshi,  sugar 20-30% weight of umeboshi and 2 T mirin.  You soak umeboshi in water just like  the honey ume, but with umebishio, you make a paste of umeboshi and add sugar and mirin and simmer until surface turns shiny.  It looks like this:

http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/11821041...06_722_3775.jpg

I grew up eating umeboshi and tsukemono and I find that many umeboshi sold now are very sweet and soft.  Although they are fine for munching, I prefer saltier and firmer umeboshi with rice. 

When I was a child I had to use a hammer to smash the pit after chipping my tooth from crunching the pit too many times.  I still place umeboshi pit in my tea after eating umeboshi. 

Within last week I also made ume miso - 50 gram white miso, 2 T mirin and 1 recipe umebishio.  Simmered. Ume mayo dip - 1/3 C mayo, 1 -2 umeboshi (minced), 2 T sour cream, 1 tsp sugar, and 2 tsp warm water - all combined.  Ume tsuyu  for hiyashi chuka or salad dressing - 2 umeboshi (minced), 2 T sugar, 2 T rice vinegar, 3 T shoyu, 1 tsp sesame oil, and 1/2 C water - combined.  I also added 2 tsp miso the second time I made this and came out very good.

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Thanks for your reply, shinju. I copied and printed out your recipes, hoping to try some of them in the near future, expecially the hiyashi chuka dressing. Coincidentally, we had hiyashi chuka the day before yesterday, and I wondered if I could make umeboshi-based sauce for a change, in place of the soy sauce-based one that comes with the instant hiyashi chuka packet.

[Hiroyuki]

I wonder if the ume in the photo was the hachimitsu ume mentioned earlier.

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Hi, greenspot. I think it is, if it is sweet.

Umeboshi sour? I've never had it before. I have ume pickled in sugar and shochu (Japanese distilled spirit), given to me by my mother, which are sweet and tasty.

[JasonTrue]

I've seen some umeboshi cocktails, but I think they are using shochu ume, which aren't very strong tasting like normal umeboshi. We can even find shochu ume in the umeboshi section at my Japanese supermarket in Seattle.

I wonder if the ume in the photo was the hachimitsu ume mentioned earlier.

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Hi, greenspot. I think it is, if it is sweet.

Umeboshi sour? I've never had it before. I have ume pickled in sugar and shochu (Japanese distilled spirit), given to me by my mother, which are sweet and tasty.

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