Umeboshi face is the puckered face you make the first time you try an umeboshi. It's definitely an acquired taste, but once you have a taste for it, nothing else will satisfy the itch. You don't eat the whole thing in one bite. You pick small pieces off the pit and eat it with rice to accompany your meal. They say that umeboshi brings out the flavors of the other dishes you're eating. Other ways to enjoy ume would be to pull the pits out and make a paste with the fruit and use it to season dressings or sauces or put small amounts of the paste directly on meats. It goes really well with chicken, pork, cucumbers, tomatoes, and even cheese! One of my favorite memories of my grandpa was watching him mash up an umeboshi on the bottom of his glass, and add shochu and hot water to it. I loved watching the process and the look of satisfaction on his face as he took the first sip.

Umeboshi is a pickled stonefruit called Ume, similar to an apricot. The ume fruit is packed in salt, dyed with red shiso leaves, and then dried in the sun. The sourness comes from the ume fruit, which has two to three times more citric acid than a lemon! The high levels of citric acid are what give the umeboshi its health qualities: improved circulation, boosted immune system, and its antimicrobial qualities especially when dealing with upset tummies. It's also said that it boosts energy and helps the body recover from physical exertion by flushing out lactic acid. It's also considered a hangover cure since it balances the alkalinity of the body and helps restore balance to the liver after a long night of drinking. But don't get it twisted, you shouldn't overeat umeboshi, because they also have a high sodium content (you know, packed in salt...). Everything in moderation.

PS. It's a stonefruit and it contains a pit. And, yes, it's the same fruit that goes into plum wine.

10.59 oz (It's pretty big, but it doesn't go bad)

*Refrigerate after opening

 *Vegan, soy-free, gluten-free. Contains stone fruit.