Ume Gonomi: Momoya’s Best Umeboshi Paste Product
“Umeboshi (梅干し)” is a traditional Japanese food made by pickling Ume plums in salt. Generally, it is so salty and sour that we Japanese like to eat it with plain white rice.
Umeboshi is not only used in Japanese cuisine, but in Japan, those salted Ume plums can also be the main ingredient for snacks, candies, and seasonings.
Regarding the seasoning made with Umeboshi plums, it mostly comes in paste form, and in fact, some Japanese food companies are producing and selling Umeboshi paste products.
Out of such Umeboshi plum pastes, today I will introduce the best-selling product “Ume Gonomi (梅ごのみ)” from Momoya.
Momoya Ume Gonomi (桃屋 梅ごのみ)
“Ume Gonomi (梅ごのみ)” is a popular Umeboshi paste product marketed by “Momoya (桃屋)“, a leading Japanese food company known for Nori seaweed products.
Momoya introduced this jar of Umeboshi paste into the market in 2006, and now it has become a standard Umeboshi seasoning/condiment in Japan.
Featuring a rich umami taste from various ingredients, it is neither too sour nor that salty.
Ingredients
Specifically, according to the label on the side of the jar, the main ingredients in this Umegonomi Umeboshi paste are Ume plum flesh, apple, sugar, Shiso (perilla), Katsuobushi bonito flakes, bonito extract, and Kombu seaweed.
Uses
As with regular Umeboshi plums, this Momoya Ume Gonomi Umeboshi paste pairs well with a warm bowl of white rice.
Since this plum paste has a refreshing flavor and is packed with umami, it goes perfectly with oily foods, such as fried meat/fish.
And it can also be used as a dipping sauce for fresh vegetables, such as cucumber sticks.
In addition, the paste works beautifully with noodle dishes as well, like Udon and Soba.
And some Japanese home cooks like using this paste as a seasoning in pasta dishes.
Conclusion
Even if you don’t like or can’t eat sour Umeboshi plums, I think you could enjoy this Ume plum paste because of its moderate acidity and umami taste.
Momoya Ume Gonomi is not just an Umeboshi paste but a versatile seasoning/condiment for a wide range of dishes.
Therefore, with this product, you will be able to expand your cooking repertoire.
