How it is made

Keeping ripe Nanko ume as a smooth pulp

Ripe Nanko ume paste is blended into liqueur made with neutral spirit and sake, developing aroma and texture together.

Working ripe fruit into a paste

The pulp captures the peach-like perfume and deep sweetness of fully ripe Nanko ume.

Finishing lightly cloudy

The fruit is dispersed smoothly, creating gentle viscosity without the weight of a fully pulpy liqueur.

The result

Bright acidity moves through deep sweetness

A plum-like line of acidity lifts the rich fruit and keeps a sense of light within the concentration.

Taste profile

Peach-like perfume, plum acidity and silky sweetness

Ripe ume opens toward peach. Deep sweetness and fruit texture spread across the palate before lively acidity brings the finish into balance.

Food affinities

Where a pulpy texture and deep sweetness meet the table

The food affinities below for KOTSUZUMI Baishinshunju are not pairings the brewery has stated officially — they are a reading of the characteristics recorded on this page. Four directions are built around the pulpy texture from the ume, its deep sweetness, and its light acidity.

A pulpy texture that meets thick, creamy dishesPanna cotta, sesame tofu (goma-dofu), and mango sticky rice. The thick texture from the ume pulp finds a match in dishes with a similarly smooth, dense body, so the weight in the mouth lines up.

A deep sweetness that meets roasted, caramelized aromasRoast duck with orange, grilled pork skewers (moo ping), and roasted sweet potato. The deep sweetness meets dishes carrying char or glaze, and the two sweetnesses answer each other.

A light acidity that tidies rich grilled dishesGrilled pork chop with wholegrain mustard, kabayaki-style grilled eel, and grilled pork with jaew dipping sauce. The light acidity tightens the sweet-savory glaze and fat of grilled dishes, keeping the finish clean.

Ripe fruit sweetness that meets nuts and baked sweetsAlmond tart, thong yod (Thai egg-yolk sweet), and sweet chestnut purée (kuri-kinton). The ripe fruit sweetness sits in the same register as the rich sweetness of nuts and egg yolk, so it continues naturally as a closing course.

This pairing rationale draws on the following reference books: Following the idea of matching weight from Logical Pairing, the density created by the ume pulp finds unity when matched with dishes of a similar body. Food Pairing Encyclopedia notes that peach resonates with dairy and honey, and that nuts resonate with raspberry and baked sweets; The Science of Food Pairing explains how roasted aromas connect with sweet fruit notes. Baishinshunju’s texture and sweetness follow this same logic.

Pairing guide — Umeshu

The producer

Nishiyama Shuzoujou, established in Tamba in 1849

Founded in Tamba, Hyogo, in 1849, Nishiyama Shuzoujou is the maker of KOTSUZUMI sake and a range of liqueurs that preserve the character of ume fruit.

Official producer website

Awards

2021 · 2024

Gold, Japan Umeshu Competition — Cloudy Umeshu

Gold in 2021 and 2024, following Silver in 2018. Each award belongs directly to this product.

From the same producer

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KOTSUZUMI Baishinshunju Umeshu