What fruit has a 4,000 year history from the Yangtze River basin in China?
It’s ume, or plum. Ume traveled to Japan during the Yayoi Period (300 BC to 300 AD). Umeshu is a fruit liqueur created in the Edo Period (1603-1868). For more history, see the Choya Umeshu story: choya.co.jp/en/philosophy/history/
What kind of plum is ume? Is it the red plum or dark purple plum? No!
Ume is green, and the variety I grow is the Nanko-ume, the most celebrated and premium variety from Wakayama Prefecture. It has a beautiful blush when ripe.
Ume from March 2025
Ume from May 2025
The aroma of umeshu made with Nanko-ume is floral with notes of apricot and the taste, a rounded balance of tartness and gentle sweetness.
Umeshu can be enjoyed straight on the rocks (aperitif or dessert) or with soda water for an effervescent aperitif.
