Umeboshi

When it comes to ramen toppings that are jam packed with flavor from the get-go, it’s tough to miss the awesome umeboshi! These pickled dashes of deliciousness can take your standard ramen experience to the next level, which is exactly what they do when we have them with delicious immi ramen. 

All of the above is exactly why we decided to look into what makes this topping so great, where it originally comes from, and how to make it at home. Let’s get right into it!

What is umeboshi?

It also has an amazing odor neutralizing property that comes in handy when you want a neutral smelling broth. An example of this is fish broth with oilier varieties of fish that can overpower the aroma of the complete dish. 

While it’s very popular as a snack and there are several brands of packaged umeboshi you can find at the supermarket, the classic version comes in jars either with some remaining brine or individual fruits themselves. 

History of the topping

Like so many other ingredients and condiments that were eventually adopted into ramen toppings, the ume fruit came from China and became localized in Japan. 

The earliest records of the ume fruit date back 2,000 years. The records suggest that the fruit was consumed for its medicinal properties with addition to food for flavor being a later event.

It is not until 500 years after the initial records that we find the ume fruit making its way to Japan. Over time, farmers created localized varieties that had a more tart and sour flavor than the original. This gave rise to use as a food ingredient, rather than just a fruit snack. 

Umeboshi became popular with warriors in the 16th and 17th centuries. Samurai warriors would come to revere this highly flavorful pickled fruit for its medicinal properties, claiming that it could bring a person back from the brink of total collapse. 

Towards the end of the 17th century we see families making pickled ume in their homes and serving it alongside kombu seaweed as a tea-time snack. 

Why umeboshi pairs well with ramen?

Over the years, we have come to realize that there are some flavor profiles that seem like they would be a stark contrast to what we see as the ideal ramen topping, but they turn out to be the complete opposite in reality! 

Umeboshi is no different. For a topping with as overwhelming a flavor, umeboshi has a fantastic quality of toning the flavor down a notch when it mixes with ramen broth. That’s not to say it loses the classic salty tartness completely. It simply lets in some of the umami savoriness and melds the sourness with it. 

As with other toppings, we need to go into detail and see what makes umeboshi a great pairing with each.

Shio ramen: Shio ramen is traditionally made with a salt flavor base. It’s simple, has a familiar flavor, and makes for the perfect vessel for zesty toppings such as pickled ume. The understated flavor is what leaves so much room for us to add layers on top of it. Now don’t get us wrong, we love shio ramen as it is. However, ramen toppings are usually small enough in quantity that you can add more of them without changing the overall flavor of the dish. 

Shoyu ramen: From the subtle flavor of shio to the bold flavor of shoyu ramen, here we have a classic flavor that packs just the right amount of punch already. This can be upgraded with a similarly tart and salty topping like pickled ume which adds some intensity in the initial bites. Just make sure that you’re getting a salty version of the topping, as opposed to a sour one.

Miso ramen: Miso ramen has that traditional earthy and funky miso edge to it that makes it a difficult flavor to mix with toppings. Because it has such a powerful taste, there has to be a balance in how much you add as a topping. However, if you get the balance right, you’re in store for some mouthfuls with a sour initial hit that slowly melds into saltiness, and ends with that familiar earthiness we talked about. 

Tonkotsu ramen: Tonkotsu ramen has pork bone broth that’s simmered for a long time to create a milky white liquid that tastes heavenly when set up as ramen broth. Usually we wouldn’t recommend toppings as strong as umeboshi, however, this time we have to make an exception due to the palate cleansing properties of the pickled ume fruit. It can clear the richness of the bite right out, preparing you for another delicious mouthful of tonkotsu. 

If we talk about delicious immi ramen and how well that goes with ume, we’re in a similar conundrum as with classic ramen flavors. It goes great with each flavor (albeit for different reasons). 

It goes great with the Black Garlic “Chicken” flavored immi ramen because of how it upgrades the existing earthy kick and adds a salty kick to it. It goes with the Tom Yum “Shrimp” flavored immi ramen due to the already tangy goodness that the flavor packs and how it naturally melds with a bold topping. 

It takes the spiciness of the Spicy “Beef” flavored immi ramen to another level with the naturally flavor enhancing salt and tartness of pickled ume. It creates a total flavor party in the mouth with the Spicy Red Miso flavored immi ramen and makes each mouthful a journey into Asian flavor country!

Lastly, it goes great with the brand new Creamy “Chicken” flavored immi ramen because of the contrast it provides to the subtle richness of the flavor (just like it does with tonkotsu ramen). 

Which toppings go well with umeboshi

Ume pairs well with the most subtle flavored toppings such as mushrooms, corn, beans, and tofu. This is because it already has plenty of flavor and mostly needs textured toppings to create a flavor-texture balance. 

Nori and other seaweed toppings are an exception to this. The saltiness of nori complements the salt inside pickled ume, creating a dynamic duo of fruity saltiness and savory saltiness. 

Just be careful with the topping amounts if you’re adding both ume and nori because it can get a little too salty if you add the standard amounts. 

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