Otoko Ume Candy: Nobel’s Popular Umeboshi Plum Candy

Ume plums are one of the essential ingredients for Japanese cuisine and candies. For example, the pickled Ume plum “Umeboshi (梅干し)” is a food that represents Japan.

The Japanese candy made with Ume plums comes in a wide range of products, which include Hoshiume, Umeboshi no Sheet, Nama Ume Ame, and Otoko Ume Gummy.

Among them, “Otoko Ume (男梅)” is the brand name of a popular Umeboshi product series of “Nobel (ノーベル)” whose line-up includes Otoko Ume Gummy.

In addition to the gummi, there is actually one more popular Umeboshi candy in the series, which I bought today for this blog article.

Nobel Otoko Ume Candy

Nobel Otoko Ume Candy

This “Otoko Ume Candy (男梅キャンディー)” from Nobel is one of the best-selling products in its Otoko Ume line and has been a long-time favorite in Japan.

Nobel Otoko Ume Umeboshi Plum Hard Candy

These Umeboshi plum hard candies are individually packed and contain the same amount of Ume plum juice as a single piece of Ume plum.

Therefore, these are packed with the flavor and acidic umami taste of Umeboshi plums.

Taste

This Japanese treat has a delicious, authentic Umeboshi flavor. It isn’t sharp at all but rather mild and easy-to-eat.

Unless you dislike the salty-sour taste of Umeboshi plums, you will definitely like this Ume candy.

The Nobel Otoko Ume Candy isn’t sweet, but I think it has a delightful taste that almost everyone can like.

Ingredients

Nobel Otoko Ume Candy Ingredients

Lastly, according to the ingredient list on the back of the package, the main ingredients in this Nobel Otoko Ume Candy are sugar, starch syrup, concentrated Ume plum juice, salt, Ume plum flesh, dextrin, oligosaccharide, Ume vinegar, Shiso (perilla) powder, and Ume plum extract.


Tomo

Hi, I'm Tomo, a Japanese blogger living in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. For the purpose of enriching your life, I would like to introduce things about Japan on this blog, especially unique Japanese products, cooking recipes, cultures, and facts and trivia.

14 Responses

  1. Eric says:

    Hello!
    Do you think this would be too strong for children?
    Thanks!

  2. Eric says:

    How sweet is it? Would this be considered too “strong”?

    Thanks!

    • Tomo says:

      Thank you for the comments!
      I don’t think the candy is strong in terms of stimulus, but it has a more characteristic “umeboshi” flavor than other umeboshi candies. The taste is not that sweet but more on the umami side. It is mild, but for children and umeboshi beginners, I recommend Nama Ume Ame first, because I hear many people overseas can’t eat the pickled ume plum due to its sour acidic taste.

      I hope this will help!

      • Eric says:

        Thank you for your reply!
        How strong would you say the candy is compared to a real umeboshi?

        Thanks!

        PS. sorry for the duplicate comments.

        • Tomo says:

          Hello, thank you for your reply, and never mind about the comment!

          Actually, the taste of umeboshi varies depending on the producer and whether it is produced by traditional methods or modern ones. In general, traditional umeboshi plums are extremely salty and sour, but modern ones, some of which are marinated in honey, are not that strong.

          Among others, I think the Otoko Ume candy has a taste closest to a real umeboshi plum, but it is a piece of candy after all (not that sweet, though), so its sourness and acidity are very weak compared to any kind of umeboshi. Instead, the candy is richer in umami and much tastier than real umeboshi. In a word, it is more of an adult candy than a child’s sweet!

  3. Eric says:

    They arrived today, very yummy! It was actually less “strong” than I thought it would be, but still very good.
    Thanks for the recommendation!

  4. Elizabeth Fetzer says:

    So different compared to American candy. I love having a new candy experience! I found your blog as I was looking up what it was that I was eating. It came in a mixed bag of snacks from Amazon.

    • Tomo says:

      Thank you for commenting!
      There are a variety of Ume plum candies in Japan, but Otoko Ume is especially unique compared to others.
      It tastes like a cross between an Umeboshi pickle and a candy.

  1. October 16, 2024

    […] mixture is then cooked to achieve the desired consistency. Some candies, like Otoko Ume Gummy, use gelatin for texture. Hard candies might require heat to reach the right candy stage before […]

  2. October 16, 2024

    […] Traditionally, the Japanese plum tree is associated with bringing good fortune and warding off evil spirits. It is often planted in gardens and shrines for this reason. The aesthetic and spiritual qualities of the ume blossom have also made them a popular subject in art, poetry, and literature. Plums have been used in various traditional rituals and are a staple ingredient in making umeboshi, a popular pickled delicacy. […]

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