Food Lesson: Umeboshi Plums

You may have seen these wrinkly little plums as garnish in a bento box at a Japanese restaurant, on the inside of onigiri (filled rice balls), or simply placed on top of a bowl of plain rice—or maybe you have no idea what I’m talking about. Umeboshi plums, ume for short, are Japanese pickled plums (though most sources say they are actually more like apricots) that are usually found pickled with vinegar or dried.

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I definitely don’t want you to think that this is an amazing superfood that you should start eating every day. Umeboshi have a very high salt content and can actually be used as a salt replacement in recipes. However, eating foods that are fermented like these plums are great for digestion and your overall gut health. Bring on that healthy bacteria!

These little treasures also tout other fun benefits:

• Alleviates nausea (thus, a hangover cure!)
• Promotes healthy digestion
• High in iron
• Boosts immunity
• Helps cleanse lactic acid from the body (goodbye after-workout soreness!)
• Alkalizes the body’s pH level (due to the natural citric acid)*

*There is an alkaline water craze happening right now (like that weird black water) because of the supposed benefits of better hydration, preventing diseases, and lowering the acid level in the body. I can’t say that I’m willing to buy special water to get these benefits (not to mention wasting all that plastic!), but some people swear by it.

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The salty, sour, fruity taste of umeboshi is an acquired taste, but if you like pickled veggies, you’re already halfway there! My favorite way to eat umeboshi is in onigiri. As a kid, I loved eating plain rice balls with nori (seaweed) wrapped around them. I remember my dad sitting across from my brother and I at the kitchen table making ball after ball. He would alternate placing one in front of each of us just fast enough for us to pop it into our mouth, chew, swallow, and reach for another. We would complain and then laugh if the steady flow of rice balls stopped because my dad had to feed himself every once in a while. Onigiri makes me feel like I’m eating sophisticated, adult rice balls. I’m still getting the technique down, but making my own for lunch or dinner helps me to curb my sushi appetite. This saves me money in the long run!

You can find umeboshi at pretty much any Asian food store. Never been to one before? Just look up “Asian food store near me” and prepare for supremely confusing aisles, crazy-looking fruits you’ve never heard of, and the smell of fish throughout the store. When in doubt, just ask where the umeboshi (oo-meh-bow-shee) or the Japanese pickled plums are, and you’re good to go.

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Umeboshi Onigiri

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Servings: 4
Time: 1 hour (includes rice cooking time)

1 tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Salt
2 tbsp Rice Vinegar
1 1/2 cups Cooked Short Grain Rice (this is 2 servings in a rice cooker)
10 Umeboshi
1 package Seaweed Snacks (I get mine from Trader Joe’s or Sprouts)

1. While you are cooking the rice, place the sugar, salt, and rice vinegar in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, sir, and let sit on the counter until all the grains dissolved.
2. Once the rice is done, pour the vinegar mixture over the warm rice, and gently fold in with a rice paddle (a spoon will also do) until combined.
3. Take each umeboshi and use a knife to take slice open and take out the pit. Once pitted, mince all of the plums.
4. Assembly time! Place a piece of plastic wrap over a small bowl. Settle a small amount of rice in the bottom of the bowl, put about 1 teaspoon of umeboshi in the middle of the rice, and place a small amount of rice on top.
5. Lift the edges of the plastic wrap and use your hands to form a flat disc shape with the rice.
6. Wet your fingers with water and carefully take the rice disc out of the plastic wrap and wrap one piece of seaweed around the disc like a little handle.
7. Repeat until your rice or umeboshi runs out or you get tired (this definitely happened to me). Enjoy!

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According to a few sources, umeboshi were eaten by the samurai “to keep up their stamina, stave off fatigue, and help heal between battles; they were a staple in their daily diets” (from naturallysavvy.com).

So dine like a samurai with these salty, sour nuggets, and use as a great addition to rice dishes, tangy salad dressings, and Asian-inspired sauces, or are a perfect filling for vegan sushi!