Why do only humans get so much healthy nutrients? Have you ever thought about it? For example, cows are very healthy even if they eat only grass. According to one theory, we cannot make vitamins ourselves anymore in the process of evolution. That is why, we need to get vitamins from the vegetables and fruits.
Today’s topic is salted plums. It is called “Umeboshi” in Japan and has a long history as a preserved food and medicine. Plum blossoms are popular for gardening. Plum blossoms entertain everyone by blooming before the cherry blossoms, beyond the cold winter. “Michizane Sugawara”, a famous historical figure from the Heian period, also liked plum blossoms and wrote a song about plum blossoms.
Umeboshi making became less popular to make it home once, but it has recently attracted attention from the younger generation by Youtube and other social apps.
May is the harvest season for plum fruits. Around that time, many shops sell plums. Umeboshi is made when the sunny weather continues from July to August. The process of making umeboshi is very simple, but if the amount of ingredients is slightly changed, the “salty taste” and “texture of chewing” will change during the fermentation process. Cooking looks like chemistry because plums are still alive. It is fun to search for own your taste of umeboshi every year. That’s why many people repeat making umeboshi.
