Umeboshi, or Japanese pickled plums, are the jewels in the crown of Japan’s pickling tradition. They have been consumed for over a thousand years, first as a medicine, thought to prevent fatigue, purify water, and purge toxins, and later as a flavorful condiment. Mitoku’s umeboshi are made following an ancient, all-natural process, refined over centuries in the villages of Wakayama prefecture.
These organically grown Japanese plums are salt pickled, one of the simplest and most common methods of food preservation. This means no refined sugar, synthetic ingredients, or preservatives are used whatsoever. The plums are then soaked with zesty shiso leaf to impart color, flavor, and aroma, as well as the antibacterial and preservative qualities traditionally associated with the herb.

The resulting umeboshi have all the eye-opening tang and tartness you might expect, but are balanced with a mellowness derived from the slow and careful production process. The acidity of the umeboshi comes from naturally occurring citric and malic acids, which have been said to possess therapeutic properties since ancient times.