Japanese apricots

Armeniaca mume (Prunus mume), an ornamental tree, bears small yellow stone fruits — eaten raw or made into juices and pickles — called ume or mei. Too tart for fresh eating in most tastes, they are pickled into umeboshi or steeped into plum wine and juice blends. Their intense acidity and aroma make them a cornerstone of Japanese preserved foods, where salt and fermentation keep them safe for long storage. Umeboshi’s intense sourness comes from citric acid concentrated by pickling.