Smoked plum is the smoked fruit of Asian plums, used in East Asian cuisine and medicine. It is called ''wūméi'' () in

Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...

, ''omae'' (; ) in Korean, ''ubai'' (; ) in Japanese, and ''Ô mai '' in Vietnamese.

Overview

Smoked plums, matte black to dark brown, with a rugged surface, have a unique flavor with a sour taste. The fruit is spherical or oblate, around long and in diameter. The surface is wrinkled, with the round stem-end underside. The fruit kernel is hard, olate, yellowish brown, long, wide, and thick, with a dotted surface. The seed is flat obloid and light yellow.

Production

Unripe plums are picked in early summer, smoked, and dried at .

Use

Cuisine

In China, smoked plums are used to make ''

suānméitāng Suanmeitang or sour prune drink is a traditional Chinese beverage made from smoked plums, rock sugar, and other ingredients such as sweet osmanthus. Due to the sour plums used in its production, ''suanmeitang'' is slightly salty in addition to bei ...

'', a sour plum drink. In Korea, smoked plums are used to make traditional teas and drinks such as '' omae-cha'' (smoked plum tea) and ''

jeho-tang ''Jeho-tang'' () is a traditional Korean cold drink made with honey and several ingredients used in traditional Korean medicine. The ingredients include '' omae'' (, " smoked unripe plums"), ''sain'' (, " medicinal cardamom"), ''baekdanhyang'' ( ...

'' (medicinal summer drink).

Medicine

Latin (pharmaceutical) name for smoked plums is ''Mume Fructus''. In

Traditional Korean medicine Traditional Korean medicine (known in North Korea as Koryo medicine) refers to the forms of traditional medicine practiced in Korea. History Korean medicine traditions originated in ancient and prehistoric times and can be traced back as far a ...

, smoked plums are considered conductant for the liver channel, spleen channel, lung channel, and large intestine channel. It is used to treat ascariasis, vomiting, cough, and diarrhea. It is reported to relieve phlegm, inhibit intestinal motility, and fight bacteria in pharmacologic experiments.

Dyeing

In Japan, the extract of smoked plums (ubai) is used as a mordant for the natural red dye derived from safflower (benibana).

References

Chinese cuisine Korean cuisine Plum dishes Smoked food Traditional Korean medicine {{Korea-cuisine-stub