An umeshu made from small ‘Nanaore-ko’ume’ plums, the local speciality of the town of Tobe in Ehime prefecture, which have been marinated in authentic rice shochu and then to which spring water from Mt. Takanawa was added. Nanaore-ko’ume plums have a translucent pale yellow colour, a small stone, lots of flesh, and are renowned for their low acidity and aroma.
Good to know: unlike sake, which is a brewed spirit, shochu is a distilled spirit whose ingredients are not fixed. It is generally made from rice, buckwheat or sweet potato, but can also be made from barley or chestnuts, for example. It is a strong alcohol (between 20° and 45°), which is why it is used to make umeshu. Not only does the high alcohol content help to extract the flavour of the plums, but Japanese alcohol law states that it is illegal to make fruit spirits from drinks of less than 20°, even at home!
This umeshu is a lovely accompaniment to Happosai fondue, fried chicken kara’age or white fish carpaccio, and can be drunk on its own, on the rocks or diluted in sparkling water.
About Shusen Eiko
For over 120 years, Shusen Eiko has been producing spirits in Ehime, on the island of Shikoku, with local, national and now international success, winning numerous gold and silver medals in various competitions. The company has a very special brewery: all the storage space is a huge cold room, so all the production can be kept at a controlled temperature. The sake is kept at sub-zero temperatures to ensure optimum maturation.
