Shirabōshi, Shiso or Honey? How to Choose Umeboshi

Umeboshi vary a great deal in flavor and salt depending on how they are pickled. Knowing the differences makes it easier to choose one for rice, bento or cooking.

Shirabōshi: just ume and salt

The most basic style: ripe ume salted and sun-dried, nothing else. Sharply sour and salty, and it keeps extremely well. Japan's Standard Tables of Food Composition list salt-pickled umeboshi at 18.2 g salt equivalent per 100 g edible portion.

Shiso-zuke: color and aroma from red shiso

Red shiso is added during salting, and its pigment colors the fruit a vivid red. The herbal aroma works well in rice balls or chopped into dressed dishes.

Chōmi-zuke: honey, bonito and other seasonings

Salted ume are desalted and re-steeped in a seasoning liquid with honey, sugar or bonito stock. They are milder and easier to eat. The food tables give seasoned umeboshi 7.6 g salt per 100 g — about 40% of the salt-pickled kind — but products vary widely, so check the label.

How much salt per plum

Assuming about 10 g of flesh per plum, that is roughly 1.8 g of salt for salt-pickled and 0.8 g for seasoned umeboshi (estimated from the food tables). To cut down, choose seasoned or low-salt types, or soak umeboshi in water before eating. If you are on a salt-restricted diet, consult your doctor or dietitian.

Region and variety

Wakayama produces about 60% of Japan's ume, and Minabe and Tanabe account for about 80% of that. Nanko, the variety selected there, is known for large fruit and thick flesh. Labels such as "Kishu Nanko" tell you the region and variety.

What to check

• Salt equivalent: per 100 g or per plum on the nutrition label
• Ingredients: just "ume, salt" for shirabōshi; for seasoned types, check the seasonings
• Origin and variety: region and variety names such as Nanko
• Use: shirabōshi or shiso for cooking; seasoned types for eating as is