An ume a day keeps the doctor away :)

Eden makes a wonderful brand of umeboshi plums.  Stay clear of the ones you'd find in Asian stores because more than likely these have added preservatives and other unwanted ingredients.

Called 'The king of alkaline food', umeboshi plums are an ancient Japanese food used to balance and strengthen.  It is a salty, pickled plum that stimulates the appetite, aids digestion, and strengthens the blood. Shiso leaves impart a bright red color and natural flavoring to the plums (actually a form of apricot) during pickling. They may be taken whole or in pieces as a condiment or used instead of salt as a seasoning in cooking.  I've use it in rice balls because it naturally preserves it for up to 3 days without refrigeration, as well as on top of my rice porridge.  I've also used it in medicinal drinks, such as ume-sho-kuzu, to help with digestion and regularity by balancing off the yin.  If you want further support for digestion ailments I suggest using sauerkraut with every meal because it's a natural probiotic. 

Umeboshi is great for you!  If you just suck on the umeboshi seed for a while you'll get its awesome healing power ;) But for those of you who aren't yet accustomed to the strong taste, here's a yummy dressing recipe:

Umeboshi-Scallion Dressing

3 umeboshi plums pitted

4 tbsp tahini

1/4 cup chopped scallions

1 1/4 cups water

Place umeboshi in suribachi and grind to a smooth puree.  Add tahini and grind again.  Add scallions and water, mix to a smooth consistency and serve over your favorite salad.

A convenient way to add some form of ume in your cooking.  Sprinkle on top of vegetable stir fry or pop some popcorn, sprinkle with some sea salt/nori flakes and spray some ume vinegar on it with a spray bottle.  Delicious macro salt & vinegar popcorn ;)

Two other forms of umeboshi you'll find is umeboshi paste and ume plum vinegar.  Although these do not have the full medicinal impact of the actual plum, it is mostly for flavor in cooking, it is better than nothing.