Noshi Ume

Noshi Ume, 乃し梅 

from ¥ 648 for 5 pieces

Like many things that we now enjoy as treats (soda, hard candy, mints…), noshi ume started life as medicine. The recipe for a plum-based throat soother may have originated in Nagasaki, but then travelled to Yamagata Prefecture in the 1600s. In the 1800s, a gelatinizer of powdered seaweed (kanten or agar) was added to improve and stabilize the texture. 

Today the 5th generation owners of Satoya make noshi ume using sour, aromatic plums from Yamagata. Thick slices of the chewy, sticky gel are packaged as they have been for over a hundred years, between dried bamboo leaves; simply peel back the leaves to nibble away without dirtying your hands (and then toss the “wrapper” in the compost!). Nostalgic, portable, and delicous, noshi ume can be found in the souvenir section of many department store food halls throughout Japan. 

If you like fruit roll-ups, membrillo, or even gummi bears, this is a treat to seek out. Satoya also sells shigure, strips of noshi ume rolled in sugar, for those who prefer their plum goo a little chewier and crunchier.