# Koshu Ko-Umezuke ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Koshu Ko-Umezuke

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
Chuhoku region, Kyoutou region, Kyōnan region

## Main Ingredients Used
Koshu mini plum, red perilla, salt, rice vinegar

## History, Origin, and Related Events
“Koshu ko-umezuke” is made by harvesting Koshu mini plums―a special product of Yamanashi Prefecture―when they are still green and finishing the pickling by the end of May. The climate with a unique temperature difference, especially in the Kofu basin, is suitable for growing mini plums. The seeds are small and the flesh is thick, so they’re small but have a good texture. Plum cultivation became popular with the decline of sericulture. In recent years, the amount of production has decreased due to the development of residential land, roads, and the aging population, but it’s said they sill boast the largest production of mini plums in Japan. There’s even a record stating it was a special product of the prefecture in the late Edo period. “Koshu ko-umezuke,” which was created through trial and error to find the right texture and salt content, is also known as “karikari-zuke” because of its crunchy (karikari) texture, and is overwhelmingly popular among the processed plum products in the prefecture. Because they aren’t dried in the sun like conventional pickled plums, they stand out for being preserved while pickled in plum vinegar called “dobuzuke.”

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
It can be eaten all year round because it keeps well.

## How to Eat
Soak the Koshu mini plums in plenty of water to remove the bitterness, remove the stems, and rub with salt until the green color increases. Put well-washed and dried egg shells in a bag, crush them roughly, and put them in the bottom of the container. Place a weight on the plums and pickle them in salt until the plum vinegar comes out. The egg shell is a natural organic lime that gives the plum its crunchy texture. Next, mix it with red perilla that has been rubbed with salt to remove the bitterness, rice vinegar, shochu, etc., and store it in the refrigerator. You can eat it after about a month. It can be eaten as it is with rice or as an accompaniment to tea, but it can also be used in unexpected dishes such as rice balls, ochazuke, mixed with ginger, and in Japanese-style pasta (depending on the variation).

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches at commercialization)Of the 176 local Yamanashi foods that Yamanashi Prefecture is working to pass down to the next generation, it has been selected as a “Yamanashi Specialty Food,” one of the 47 most representative Yamanashi foods. It can be easily purchased at supermarkets and online stores.

## Ingredients
- Koshu mini plum: 2kg
- salt: 200g (10% of the plums)
- egg shells: 15
- red perilla: 4–5 bundles (net weight: 400g)
- salt: 40g (10% of the perilla)
- rice vinegar: 100ml
- shochu (35%): 80ml

## Recipe
1. 1. Wash the plums and soak them in plenty of water overnight to remove the bitterness, then wipe off the moisture and remove the calyx.
2. 2. Put the plums and salt in a container, and rub the salt into the plums until they have a more greenish tint.
3. 3. Wash the egg shells well, dry them, put them in a gauze bag, crush them roughly, and put them in the bottom of the container.
4. 4. Place a drop lid on top of the plums, put the same amount of weight as the plums on top, and leave in a cool dark place until the white plum vinegar rises.
5. 5. Remove the leaves from the red perilla, wash them, sprinkle them with a suitable amount of salt and rub it in to remove the bitterness, discard the juice, and add the leaves to the container from Step 4. Add vinegar and shochu, mix, cover the surface with plastic wrap, close it with a lid and store in the refrigerator.If you leave it for a month, the flavors will blend and it’s ready to eat.

## Provider Information
provider : “Ogossou's Tamate-Bako Recipe Collection” (Author: Keiko Shinkai)

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