Plum Blossom

Plum blossoms always go ahead of time as its flowers can be seen sprouting from as early as mid-February up to March. The appearance of plum blossoms in late winter signals the changing of seasons— a sign that warmer weather is on its way. One of the factors that dintinguishes plum blossom from cherry blossom is that plum blossom has a stronger, sweeter scent. Cherry blossom on the other hand, has a sweet but much fainter aroma. Japanese plums are known for their sour flavor and are often pickled into ‘umeboshi’ to be used in various dishes, or made into a popular liqueur called ‘umeshu,’ which is sometimes referred to as ‘plum wine’ in the west.