umeboshi

[ oo-muh-boh-shee; Japanese oo-me-baw-shee ]

noun

, plural u·me·bo·shis.

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of umeboshi¹

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

After a night of too much sake, the Japanese rely on a type of dried sour plums called umeboshi.

From The Daily Beast