🍱 Koshu Ko-Umezuke

“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.”