umeboshi

American  

[oo-muh-boh-shee, oo-me-baw-shee] / ˌu məˈboʊ ʃi, ˌu mɛˈbɔ ʃi /

noun

• umeboshis
  plural

1. a salty and tart Japanese condiment made from unripened plums pickled in a brine.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• umeboshis
  plural

Etymology

Origin of umeboshi

First recorded in 1820–30; from Japanese ume “Japanese apricot” + -boshi, combining form of hoshi “a drying,” verbal noun from hosu ( Old Japanese posu ) “to dry”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

umeboshi

Look beyond the basics: fruity vinegars like raspberry or yuzu; deeply savory options like Chinese black or umeboshi plum; something aged, herbal, or faintly mysterious, ideally with a good label.

From Salon ● Dec. 20, 2025

Norio Kushi, one of the couple’s five children, recalled packaging brown rice, miso, soy sauce and umeboshi in the family’s basement as an 11-year-old before the operation was shut down by the health department.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 9, 2021

But Taki also makes his own umeboshi from apricots and red shiso — which he says have nearly the same flavor as real umeboshi — and sells them at his booth through the summer.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 12, 2021

Serve as is, or add anything else you like: pickles, salted umeboshi plum, soy sauce, sesame seeds, bitter green leaves, chopped up toasted nori seaweed ...

From The Guardian ● Apr. 15, 2020

They include raw seafood, yaki skewers, okonomiyaki from a cast-iron skillet, plates of fried oysters with smoked yam purée, and grilled mackerel with gobo and umeboshi.

From New York Times ● Oct. 15, 2019