Chinese Plum
The Chinese plum is a somewhat difficult stone fruit to pin down. The reason for this is that the name applies to three different species of fruit trees - each of which also goes by several other common names. The Chinese plum ( Prunus mume ) has a huge variety of culinary uses, numerous health benefits, and is culturally significant across much of East Asia. What Are Chinese Plums The following three plants are all known as the Chinese plum: Prunus mume Prunus salicina Loquat ( Eriobtrya japonica) All three plum trees are distinct species, although they are all often called the Chinese plum. Strangely enough, all three of these fruit trees are also interchangeably called the Japanese plum, which further adds to the confusion. Today, we’re going to focus on the Prunus mume since it’s arguably what most people think of when it comes to the Chinese plum. Chinese Plum History The Chinese plum is native to China. It was first discovered growing near the Yangtze Rive...