Aficionado Intelligence Report - 15

The "shu" rack at Daiei

This seasonal display, at many a food store at this time of year, can only mean one thing - It's Plum Wine season! These handy shelves will supply you with everything you need to make Umeshu, orange shu, or whatever shu yu like - 

Various jars, 35% white alcohol or brandy, and rock sugar or honey (hachimitsu in Japanese). Whenever I see all these it's hard to resist buying some more materials for another batch. The plums were not out yet but should be appearing within the next few weeks. It works with other fruit too, like lemons, but only plums seem make the best plum wine for some reason :-), and they are my favorite. This year I'll be bypassing the tradition (that's the plan at least) since I made quite a large batch last year and someone else that occupies this house does not think more is needed (at the present time).  

See how to make it here and here. 

I encourage you, if you have at least a year left in Japan, to try your hand at a homemade batch of Umeshu (plum wine). It is very easy to make. 

* Aficionado Intelligence Reporting (AIR) was conceived of grey bearded men, through brilliant thought, in a small Izakaya on the backstreets of Yokosuka. AIR reports on little known but exceptional (or maybe just really good) dining spots or interesting food developments and relies on highly untrained observers making random observations and developing conclusions through sometimes single data point regression statistical analysis.

Any conclusions from its reporting are final.