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Are umeboshi plums good for your health?
Umeboshi are a good source of polyphenols, which are thought to reduce the risk of diabetes, help lower blood pressure, prevent hardening of the arteries, and boost calcium absorption.
What does plum onigiri taste like?
If you were to pop a whole plum into your mouth you’d be mighty surprised, it’s super sour and salty and intensely flavored and not entirely pleasant on its own. A natural sour patch kid, if you will. But a little pocket of pickled plum inside a cloud of sticky white rice makes for a perfect punch of flavor.
What can I do with umeboshi plums?
Depending on the quality and the occasion, umeboshi can be enjoyed atop rice at any meal in a furikake mix, as one of the tsukemono (Japanese pickles) accompanying a meal, or aged as special occasion delicacies.
What does umeboshi onigiri taste like?
They are kind of reminiscent of a sour candy-that taste sensation…but without the sweet after taste. We sometimes ate them plain, but I came to really love them on plain rice or in onigiri. The blandness of rice mixed with the super concentrated and intense flavor of the umeboshi is perfect.
What are good fillings for onigiri?
Common Onigiri Fillings
- Tuna Mayo (Sea Chicken, シーチキン・ツナマヨネーズ)
- Grilled Salmon Flakes (Yaki-shake/Beni-shake, 焼鮭・紅しゃけ)
- Pickled Plum (Ume, 梅)
- Salted Cod Roe (Tarako, たらこ)
- Seasoned Cod Roe (Mentaiko, 明太子)
- Dried Bonito Flakes (Okaka, おかか)
- Kelp Simmered in Soy Sauce (Kombu, 昆布)
- Grilled Salmon Cream Cheese (焼サーモンクリームチーズ)
Should you refrigerate umeboshi?
Traditionally made umeboshi can keep for years, even decades, and if they do go bad (they turn black) it’s thought to be a very bad omen. However, modern low-salt umeboshi, especially ones marinated in dashi stock, do not keep so well, and must be kept refrigerated and eaten before the best-by date.
Can I eat raw ume?
Ume are extremely tart, astringent, and bitter, therefore they are not for eating raw – they will cause you a stomachache. However, they are perfectly safe to eat when salted or preserved in alcohol; or fermented into wine known as Umeshu (梅酒).