Ume
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Ume is also one of the Sami languages
- Ume is also the name of a town in Ōita Prefecture, Japan
- Ume is also the name of an American rock band originally from Houston, TX
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 Ume blossoms, March
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| Prunus mume Siebold & Zucc. |
Prunus mume is a species of Asian plum in the family Rosaceae. It is called ume (kanji: 梅; hiragana: うめ) in Japanese, méi (梅) in Chinese, and maesil (hangul: 매실; hanja: 梅實) in Korean. The tree originates from China, but it has also been grown in Japan and Korea since ancient times. The tree is cultivated for its fruit and flowers. Although normally called a plum, it is actually more closely related to the apricot. Another species commonly referred to as the "Japanese plum" is the sumomo (Prunus salicina).
The tree flowers in late winter, typically late January or February in East Asia, before the leaves appear. Each flower has five petals and is 1-3 cm in diameter. The flowers are typically white, though cultivars may have rose or deep red flowers. The leaves appear shortly after the petals fall. The leaves are oval, with a pointed tip. The fruit ripens in early summer, typically June in East Asia. The ripening of the fruit coincides with Jiangnan's rainy season, meiyu (梅雨), called baiu or tsuyu in Japanese. Each fruit is round with a groove running from the stalk to the tip. The skin is green when unripe, and turns yellow, sometimes with a red blush, as it ripens. The flesh becomes yellow.
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[edit] Varieties
[edit] Japan
In Japan, ornamental ume cultivars are classified into yabai (lit. "wild ume") types, hibai ("red ume") types, and bungo ("Bungo province") type. The bungo trees are also grown for fruit and supposed to be hybrids between ume and apricot. The hibai trees have red heartwood and most of them have red flowers. The yabai trees are also used as grafting stock.
[edit] China
In China, there are over 300 recorded cultivars of mei, which can be broadly divided by colour into white, pink, red, purple, and light green types. Some varieties are especially famed for their ornamental value, including the Dahong mei (lit. "big red mei"), Taige mei (lit. "pavilion mei"), Zhaoshui mei (lit. "reflecting water mei"), Lü'e mei (lit. "green calyx mei"), Longyou mei (lit. "swimming dragon mei").
As the mei can usually grow for a long time, ancient mei trees are found throughout China. Huangmei county (lit. "Yellow Mei") in Hubei features a 1600-year-old mei tree from the Jin Dynasty which is still flowering.
[edit] Uses
[edit] Culinary use
Ume juice is extracted by preserving the fruits in sugar. In China, sour plum juice (Chinese: 酸梅汤; pinyin: suānméitāng) is made from smoked ume (Chinese: 乌梅; pinyin: wūméi; literally "dark plum"). It ranges from light pinkish orange to purplish black in color and often has a smoky and slightly salty taste. It is traditionally flavoured with sweet osmanthus flowers, and is enjoyed chilled, usually in summer. The juice produced in Japan and Korea, made from green ume, tastes sweet and acidic, and is considered a refreshing drink, also often enjoyed in the summer. In Korea, maesil juice, which is marketed as a healthful tonic, is enjoying increasing popularity.
Ume liquor is popular in both Japan and Korea. Umeshu (梅酒, sometimes translated as "plum wine") is a Japanese alcoholic drink made by steeping green ume in shōchū (燒酎, clear liquor). It is sweet and smooth. The taste and aroma of umeshu can appeal to even those people who normally dislike alcohol. A similar liquor in Korea, called maesilju, is marketed under various brand names including Mae Hwa Su, Mae Chui Soon, and Seol Joong Mae. Both the Japanese and Korean varieties of ume liquor are available with whole ume fruits contained in the bottle. Umeboshi (梅干), or pickled ume, are a Japanese specialty. Flavoured with salt and purple shiso (perilla) leaves, they are red in color and quite salty and sour, and therefore eaten sparingly. Umeboshi are generally eaten with rice as part of a bento, although they may also be used in makizushi. Makizushi made with ume may made with either umeboshi or umeboshi paste, often in conjunction with green shiso leaves. A by-product of umeboshi production is umeboshi vinegar, a salty, sour condiment.
Huamei (Chinese: 话梅; pinyin: huàméi; literally "talk plum"), or Chinese preserved plum, refers to any of a large number of Chinese foods involving plums pickled in sugar, salt, and herbs such as licorice. There are two general varieties: a dried variety, and a wet (pickled) variety. However, flavours and methods of preparation differ widely by region. Huamei are usually consumed as a snack.
A thick, sweet Chinese sauce called mei jiang (梅酱) or meizi jiang (梅子酱), usually translated as "plum sauce," is also made from ume, along with other ingredients such as sugar, vinegar, salt, ginger, chili, and garlic. Similar to duck sauce, it is used as a condiment for various Chinese dishes, including poultry dishes and egg rolls.
[edit] Medicinal use
In traditional Chinese medicine, the smoked fruits, called wumei (乌梅), is used for medicinal purposes. They are generally black in color and are believed to be effective against parasites, as well as in stopping ulcers and promoting a strong digestive system and heart.
[edit] Cultural significance
Ume flowers have been well loved and celebrated in both China and Japan. In China, they are most commonly used as decoration during the Chinese New Year. The blossoms are common subjects in Chinese art and are among the most beloved Chinese flowers. Unlike the Japanese, however, the Chinese see the blossoms as more of a symbol for winter rather than a harbinger of spring. It is precisely for this reason that the blossoms are so beloved, because they bloom most vibrantly amidst the winter snow while all other flowers have long since succumbed to the cold and died. Thus, they are seen as an example of resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity, and thus has also been used as a metaphor to symbolize revolutionary struggle. Because they blossom in winter, the ume, the pine, and the bamboo together have been called the "Three Friends of the Cold" (岁寒三友). Apart from that, the blossom is one of the "Four Junzi Flowers" (四君子) in China (the others being orchid, chrysanthemum, and bamboo) and symbolized nobleness.
The blossom has long been a floral symbol of the ancient Chinese city of Nanjing. In 1964, the Executive Yuan of the Republic of China adopted the five-petaled plum blossom ("prunus mei") as the national flower of the Republic of China[1]. The flower features prominently on currency and other national symbols. In mainland China, the flower also features on currency and other important symbols.
Ume blossoms are often mentioned in Japanese poetry as a symbol of spring. When used in haiku or renga, they are a kigo or season word for early spring. The blossoms are asscociated with the Japanese Bush Warbler, and they are depicted together as one of the twelve suits on hanafuda (Japanese playing cards). During the Nara period (8th century), the blossom of the ume tree was preferred over the sakura (cherry) blossom, which became popular after the Heian period (794-1185).
[edit] Etymology
In North America, the fruit and tree are generally known by the Japanese name, ume. The scientific name (Prunus mume) preserves an older, alternative Japanese pronunciation—possibly the original—of "mme" (んめ), which was written "mume" (むめ) as there was no special kana for a lone nasal at that time. These Japanese terms derive, as does the Korean name maesil (매실), from the Middle Chinese pronunciation of the character (梅), which is thought to have been muəi.[2]
[edit] See also
 Prunus mume in flower |
 Fruit of Prunus mume |
[edit] Notes
- ^ Goverment Information Office, Republic of China - National Flower
- ^ Yamaguchi, Y., ed.: "Kurashi no kotoba: Gogen Jiten", page 103. Kodansha, 1998
