Ume in bloom

Spring is officially on its way: the ume are in bloom! Actually, they've been blooming for a few weeks and some are already past their peak, but these ones were still lovely when I took a walk through my local park yesterday. Called Prunus mume in latin, this is the same tree that produces the astringent fruit that is turned into umeboshi (pickled plums) and umeshu (ume liqueur). Both the flowers and fruit are called ume in Japanese, and in English they go by several names; I prefer the more correct "Japanese apricot" or just "ume" to "plum", the common but inaccurate name.

These ume here, sadly, won't become much at all except maybe lunch for the birds, since the pretty decorative flowers don't make good fruit (edible ume have plain white flowers). But cheering people up with their pretty flowers and sweet scent is just as worthy a service as feeding us, and they do their job very nicely.

Oooh, that reminds me: time to check last year's umeshu! It was lovely at the last tasting around Christmas, and it should be just about done.

JapanSoc it!

Comments

[Brian]

I followed your umeshu recipe in June of last year. It's really tasty now.

[David]

Great photos as always, Amy!

[gretchen]

thank you so much for the photos and ume news. we are seriously addicted to umeboshi in our house in connecticut and eat them whenever we can. we always laugh that they are called plums when they aren't. love your blog.

[Mari L'Esperance]

Amy, perhaps next spring you could write a post about "roubai," that lesser known member of the ume family (or at least I believe it's a member). I know that the flower has special significance to the Japanese, as it blooms very early in the year. Thanks, as always, for your gorgeous and informative blog. A slice of Japan enjoyed from anywhere in the world!

[Amy]

Glad your umeshu turned out, Brian. Mine was still a bit cloying on the last tasting so I'm hoping some tart and bitter notes have leached out of the ume since then.

Thanks David!

Hi Gretchen, it's good to know you can find umeboshi in Conneticut!

Mari, I actually took some roubai pictures on the same day as these ume pictures, I just haven't gotten around to posting them yet. I'm not sure if I'll do an entire post about them, as I've already done that: http://blue_moon.typepad.com/blue_lotus/2006/02/post.html

[Panda]

It's really great to have a feel of the change of seasons in your vignettes. How beautifully and seamlessly you have interwoven food as the best expression of culture with the nature around us. I remember reading about Ume blossoms last year.
Thanks.