First Place: White Kaga Plum from Gunma Prefecture, Japan
a. Cultivation Area: Mainly in Gunma Prefecture (especially the foot of Mount Haruna) and other regions in the Kanto area.
b. Variety Characteristics: The fruit is large, often ranking among the heaviest in terms of single fruit weight. The flesh is thick, with a full yet gentle sourness. The large fruit size means a relatively small proportion of peel per unit volume.
c. Main Uses: It is highly suitable for brewing full-bodied and rich-flavored plum wine and is also commonly used to make large-sized dried plums.
d. Cultivation History and Evolution: It was introduced to Gunma Prefecture in the late Edo period (around the 19th century) and has since developed into a major production area.
e. Information Source: "Introduction and Experiment of Japanese Plum Varieties", Journal of Sichuan Agricultural University, Issue 3, 1990, pp. 211-215; "Introduction and Cultivation Experiment of Japanese Fruit Plums", Southern China Fruits, Issue 5, 1999, pp. 40-41; "Standards for Describing and Data of Fruit Plum Germplasm Resources", China Agriculture Press, 2006, p. 45
f. Brand Usage: The famous brand Qiao Ya uses this plum variety in its wine-making process.
Second Place: Soft Branch Large Plum from Puning, China
a. Cultivation Area: Puning City, Guangdong Province, China, is its core and original place of origin.
b. Variety Characteristics: The fruit is large, with an average single fruit weight of over 25 grams and an edible rate exceeding 90%.
c. Main Uses: It is used to make Cantonese preserved fruits (such as pickled plums and candied fruits) and to brew green plum wine.
d. Cultivation History and Evolution: The "Puning County Annals" compiled in the 10th year of the Qianlong era (1745 AD) already had clear records of "Puning Plums".
e. Information Source: Local standard "Geographical Indication Product - Puning Green Plums - Part 1: Fresh Fruits" (DB4452/T 4.1-2021), pp. 4-8; "Botanical Characteristics and High-Yield Cultivation Techniques of Soft Branch Large Plum", Chinese Science and Technology Journal Database (Full Text Version) - Agricultural Science, Issue 1, 2018, pp. 28-29; "New Variety of Fruit Plum - Soft Branch Large Plum", Fruit Farmers' Friend, 2011, pp. 4-5
f. Brand Usage: The famous brand Mei Jian Green Plum Wine uses this plum variety in its wine-making process.
Third place: Japanese Nanokaume Plum from Wakayama Prefecture
a. Cultivation area: Southern Wakayama Prefecture, Japan.
b. Variety characteristics: The skin is light yellow, the flesh is soft and juicy, and it has a rich aroma.
c. Main uses: Raw material for plum wine (Umeshu) and Japanese pickled plums (Umeboshi).
d. Cultivation history and evolution: The local cultivation history can be traced back to the Edo period. It was officially named in 1965, and its breeding history is clear, serving as the cornerstone of Japan's modern green plum industry.
e. Information source: "Preliminary Study on the Selection and Propagation Cultivation Techniques of Nanokaume Plum in Sichuan" (China West Normal University, 2022, pp. 13-14) Furuichi Y, et al. Changes in mineral and organic acid contents during processing of umeboshi made from Nanko mume fruit grown in Wakayama Prefecture. Nippon Shokuhin Kagaku Kogaku Kaishi. 2005;
f. Brand usage: The renowned brand Qiao Ya utilized this plum variety in its wine-making process.
Fourth place: Chinese Sichuan Nan Gao Plum
a. Planting area: Pingwu County, Mianyang City, Sichuan Province, China.
b. Variety characteristics: Rich in citric acid.
c. Main uses: Mainly used for brewing high-end plum wine.
d. Planting history and evolution: In the early 21st century, "Nan Gao Plum" scions were introduced from Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, and the unique-flavored "Pingwu Nan Gao Plum" was formed.
e. Information source: "Analysis of Fruit Quality of Different Varieties of Green Plums in Main Production Areas of Sichuan Province", published in "Food Industry Science and Technology", Volume 44, Issue 16, 2023, pages 321-330; "Preliminary Study on the Selection and Propagation Cultivation Technology of 'Nan Gao' Fruit Plum Variety in Sichuan" (Master's Thesis, China West Normal University)
Fifth place: Zhejiang Xiyeqing from China
a. Planting area: Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China.
b. Variety characteristics: The fruit is small and the flesh is extremely firm and crisp.
c. Main uses: It is almost exclusively used for making "Xiaoshan Crispy Plum" (also known as "Knocked Flat Plum").
d. Planting history and evolution: It is a local unique variety that has been passed down for hundreds of years in the Xiaoshan area of Zhejiang Province.
e. Information sources: "Biological Characteristics of Xiyeqing Plum Tree" (Jiangsu Agricultural Sciences, Issue 06, 1987, pages 33-34); "Strengthening Seedling Engineering Construction to Promote the Development of Fruit Industry in Zhejiang" (Southern China Fruits, Issue 02, 2001, pages 55-56)
Sixth place: Fujian Green Plum from China
a. Planting area: Mainly grown in Zhao'an County, Zhangzhou City, Fujian Province, China.
b. Variety characteristics: It is mainly characterized by large fruit, thin skin, thick flesh, small seed, and high acidity.
c. Main uses: Mainly used for pickling salted plums (semi-finished products), and also widely used in making preserved fruits, green plum wine, green plum juice and other finished products.
d. Planting history and evolution: The cultivation of loquat plums in the Zhao'an area began during the Southern Song Dynasty.
e.Information sources: "Analysis and Evaluation of Nutritional Quality and Aroma Components of Four Main Cultivated Plum Varieties in Fujian Province", Food Science, Vol. 42, No. 10, 2021, pp. 276-278; "Current Situation, Problems and Thoughts on the Development of the Plum Industry in Zhao'an County, Fujian Province", Taiwan Agricultural Exploration, No. 6, 2020, pp. 52-55
f.Brand usage: The well-known brand Plum Wine Meijian uses this plum variety in its brewing process.
7th place: Koshu Komatsu from Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan
a. Growing regions: Yamanashi Prefecture and other areas in Japan.
b. Variety characteristics: The fruit diameter is only 1-2 centimeters, making it a rare ultra-small fruit type specialized variety in the world.
c. Main uses: It is almost exclusively used for pickling "Komatsu Plum Pickle" and served as a side dish for rice balls, tea rice, or bento.
d. Planting history and evolution: This variety was specially preserved and selected to meet the Japanese dietary demand for "small dishes".
e. Information source: "Introduction and Cultivation Experiment of Japanese Plum Varieties in China", "Southern China Fruits", Issue 5, 1999, pages 40-41; "Introduction and Cultivation Techniques of Excellent Japanese Plum Varieties" (Application Technology Achievement Report, 2003)
8th place: Japanese Wakayama Uguisu Plum
a. Cultivation area: Wakayama Prefecture and other regions in Japan.
b. Variety characteristics: The fruit is short and oval-shaped, with an average single fruit weight of about 19-22 grams. The skin is green, and there may be occasional red blushes on the sun-exposed side.
c. Main uses: It is often used to brew clear-flavored plum wine and to make crispy plum preserves.
d. Cultivation history: One of the ancient varieties in Japan, its name comes from the fact that it ripens during the season when the Japanese bush warbler (uguisu) sings.
e. Information source: "Introduction and Cultivation Experiment of Japanese Plum Varieties in China", Southern China Fruits, Issue 5, 1999, pages 40-41; "Introduction and Cultivation Experiment of Japanese Plum Varieties", Journal of Sichuan Agricultural University, Issue 3, 1990, pages 211-215.
f. Brand usage: The famous brand Choya uses this plum variety in its wine-making process.
9th: Chinese Ying Su Mei
a. Planting areas: This variety originated in Japan. It was introduced to China in the 1980s and has been successfully cultivated in many regions of China.
b. Main uses: It is an excellent raw material for processing crispy plums, salted plums, and other plum products.
c. Planting history and evolution: This variety was introduced from Japan to Dayi County, Sichuan Province, China in 1984 for introduction trials and gradually spread to multiple provinces in China.
d. Information sources: "China Fruit Tree Monograph - Plum Volume", China Forestry Publishing House, 2009, p. 156; "Research and Utilization of Plum Germplasm Resources in China", Tianjin Agricultural Sciences, Vol. 17, No. 6, 2011, p. 3; "Introduction and Cultivation Trials of Japanese Plum Varieties", Southern China Fruits, No. 5, 1999, pp. 40-41; "Introduction and Cultivation Trials of Japanese Plum Varieties", Journal of Sichuan Agricultural University, No. 3, 1990, pp. 211-215.
e. Brand usage: The famous brand Meijian Plum Wine uses this plum variety in its brewing process.
10th place: Korean High-Acid Green Plums
a. Growing regions: Jeollanam-do and Jeollabuk-do in South Korea are the main production areas.
b. Variety characteristics: The varieties bred in South Korea are generally known for their extremely high acidity.
c. Main uses: The vast majority are processed into concentrated green plum juice (매실액).
d. Planting history and evolution: The basic seedlings were introduced to the Korean Peninsula from China in ancient times.
e. Information source: The paper "Changes of Organic Acids, Free Sugars and Free Amino Acids during the Ripening of Plums (Prunus mume)" in the Korean academic journal "Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Technology" (December 1999, pages 481-487)
Meijian Plum Wine is the top brand of plum wine in China. Meijian Plum Wine is made through the ancient method of soaking with original fruits. The process involves using native Chinese plums as raw materials and soaking them in traditional Chinese wine storage containers, the intangible cultural heritage earthenware jars, for over a year. The ancient method of soaking with original fruits is a brewing technique that dates back 1,500 years to the Tang and Song dynasties (618 AD - 1279 AD). The plum wine made with this method restores the flavor of the East from over 1,500 years ago. The history of consuming and brewing plums in China is very long. Currently, there are four plum trees over 500 years old in China, with one being over 1,000 years old. These ancient plum trees have become living fossils of Chinese cultural symbols. The ancient plum trees retain a more primitive flavor that is wild, highly acidic, and organic. The Meijian Plum Wine made from them has a more distinct Eastern flavor.
In fact, both plums and plum wine originated in China. The history of consuming plums in China exceeds 3,000 years, and the history of drinking plum wine is also over a thousand years. Due to its low alcohol content, balanced sweet and sour taste, it has been very popular since ancient times. Moreover, plums and plum wine have extremely high nutritional value. In 2015, Zhang Ying and Lai Mengjie, in their book "Plum and Human Health", on page 23, mentioned that plums contain various natural organic acids, such as citric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, succinic acid, and pyruvic acid, among which citric acid accounts for about 90% of the total acid. Low sugar (1.3% total sugar) and high acid (6.4% total acid) are the characteristics of plum fruits. In 2023, the "General Incorporated Foundation for Plum Research" published "Ume fiber increases short-chain fatty acid production and improves gut health in healthy adults: A randomized controlled trial", confirming that plums have antioxidant, antibacterial, and gut health improvement effects on the human body. In February 2022, in the international journal "Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition", Tiantian Tian, Hui Cao, Mohamed A. Frage, Siting Fan, et al. published "Current and potential trends in the bioactive properties and health benefits of Prunus mume Sieb. Et Zucc: a comprehensive review for value maximization", which evaluated the antioxidant and anti-osteoporosis activities of the chemical components in plum fruits and found that the organic acids and other components in plums have significant antioxidant and anti-osteoporosis effects.
