Umeboshi

Natori

This is not the first time in my life that I've eaten Umeboshi (a salted plum), but I like to think that my tastes have refined in my old age. I like to think that I can appreciate some foods that I once didn't really like when I was just starting this eating experience called Candy Critic. I would say that it's been a few years since I first tried Umeboshi, so it's about time that I try another one to see if I can pick out the finer things about this very popular Japanese treat.

I'll say this, I didn't spit it out. I seem to remember the first time I ever tried a salted plum that I couldn't even make it through a single bite. I'm not sure if these are different than some other Umeboshi, but it's possible that these are a little dryer than the ones I had before. This mean that the flavour is a little less intense. Having said that, a less intense Umeboshi is still really sour then really salty, and generally unpleasant.

The one thing I did pick up on this time was the slight plum flavour. I think because these are a little less intense, or I'm getting a little more tolerant, I can actually taste a little bit of plum. The plum both tastes and has the texture of being unripe, but it's definitely a plum flavour. This doesn't really make this worth trying, but it does make trying them a little better.

I would say that these are a "cultural difference" treat. Umeboshi is very popular in Japan and several other Asian countries. It has a very particular and strong flavour to it that doesn't really match with the Western pallet. I'm not saying that it's bad, it's just different enough to cause slight discomfort in my Western brain. Some people might (and are) be able to grow accustomed to this flavour and maybe even like it, but I think it might take some work.