UMEBOSHI PLUM-MELON OF JAPAN

Umeboshi (Japanese:梅干し) is a dish of pickles are very popular in the cuisine of Japan is made ​​by taking dried ripe apricots dipped wilt long day with plenty of salt. It is also known as "dried ume fruit" brought a kind of pickled fruit, its similar shape in our country apricots.

Umeboshi plum pickle dish traditionally must be made from ripe plum. At around early June to mid July, when spring gave way to summer, almost every country of Japan have entered a period of wet weather, rainy called tsuyu (or Baiyu). And also at the tree laden with ripe red plums, the Japanese picked them and put them in a wooden crate containing salt. After the plums have almost full hand out boxes, one for face plum thick layer of salt, time is increasingly falling plum, prune juice will dissolve more salt forming natural plum vinegar. First saltwater sour plum vinegar featured called, although it is not vinegar.

There is a kind of dream called umezuke more salt, they are not exposed to wilt before being salted. Umeboshi software (if it is umezuke crunchy), with sharp acidity and salinity. Often umeboshi yellow straw, but also kind of red, which is depending on ripeness of apricots classified before making umeboshi.

Today there are many ways to do dishes umeboshi and most people take less salt that will make pickled plum vinegar straight from the show a little salt to taste Salt equivalent.

Umeboshi plum melon red, the salt with red shiso leaves called Akajiso or may increase the taste of plums pickled with salt by algae Kombu or even honey.

This is a traditional dish of the Japanese people, pickled plums are usually eaten with rice but it is thought that may help the rice is not broken. People often put a melon plum rice in the middle box to create the shape of the flag of Japan. Acid salt of the melon is believed to help digestion of food while eating. According to Japanese traditional medicine, food melon plum effect preventing winter diseases such as cough, runny nose. Therefore, Japanese people often eat plain porridge with pickled plums daily.

Central Japan Wakayama province, especially in a locality called Minabe, is famous for making umeboshi.