I really want to try umeboshi, as I eat rice everyday, and have heard that white rice + umeboshi are a great pairing.
My local asian grocery store has them, but they're pretty expensive. (I added a photo of which ones the sell).
I don't really want to buy it in the case that I won't like the taste, and then wasted part of my grocery budget.
Does anyone know any cheap alyernatives? Ie. Good and affordable places to buy asian groceries online, a way to make them at home, or something that tastes similar to umeboshi and will compliment the rice.
Thank you!
by Liminal__being
8 comments
Maybe try an umeboshi furikake and see if you like that? Your local store may also have that for cheaper. Do be aware that umeboshi are pretty sour- some people really don’t like that.
Umeboshi paste might be cheaper, and you get 100% of the weight vs ones that have the pit intact.
Look in their snacks or equivalent deliif they have one. They might have imeboshi flavored stuff. Like a rice ball
Otherwise look up a lot of recipes and find ones that sound interesting bsonifnyou don’t like it on rice you canbtry new recipes
Last bit? Look for umeboshi furikake. It isn’t the same and often is a fake one. But it’s got a decent flavor profile and is usually cheaper or lasts longer to try on other stuff
I found Shirakiku umeboshi on Amazon for $8.10. I’ve had that brand before, they’re good. Do you like tart pickled foods? Umeboshi are sour, salty, a little bit sweet, complex unique flavor. Putting one umeboshi in a cup of green tea is good for upset tummies, and tastes good, too. Some sushi places have umeshiso maki: sushi roll with umeboshi, shiso leaf, maybe cucumber. My favorite! Maybe you can find a place near you that serves it?
I haven’t tried the brand you’re looking at, but it does appear to be more of an artisan/craft/premium umeboshi, not supermarket-grade like Shirakiku. These umeboshi look large to me, and it looks like there’s probably at least 6 of them in the pack, so you’d be spending £1.33 each.
A bit pricey, but reasonable if you want to buy good quality umeboshi in a country that doesn’t produce them. In my experience, the cheap ones slap you in the face with salty and sour flavour, while the more premium ones have a much more complex and balanced flavour – still salty and sour, but much more balanced.
If you have an adventurous palate, and/or you love things like sour candy, I’d say go for it. Keep in mind that the sourness in umeboshi is alkaline, which to me tastes similar to acidic sourness but a bit of a different experience.
Thank you everyone for your suggestions! I’ll try looking for the alternatives you have mentioned next time I go to the shop, though if not, I think I will buy the umeboshi I found before, as I think I’ll enjoy the sour taste.
I found a recipe for umeboshi ochazuke, which I thought might be good to try.
Maybe get them for the full price once… and I’m sure you won’t need any more. Umeboshi is an acquired taste and most westerners don’t like them for a good reason.
Sometimes they sell just the paste in a little pouch. You could try that but I don’t think it will be much cheaper.
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