Japanese Plum
Overview
Plum is the source of maesil-cheong and maesil-cha found in nearly every Korean household, and the Donguibogam records the exact traditional method still used today for the smoked, dried form prized in medicine: yellow plums smoked over fire become the dark "crow plum" (烏梅), while salt-cured ones become "white plum" — each recorded as its own remedy with richer effects than the raw fruit.
In the Donguibogam
寶鑑
Traditional functions
- Relieves thirst
- Generates fluids
Traditional applications
- Thirst
- Dry mouth
Traditional preparation
Eaten fresh in moderation, or processed into umeboshi-style salted plum, smoked "crow plum," or plum syrup (maesil-cheong).
Cautions
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between this entry and "omae" (oh-mae)?
Omae (烏梅, smoke-dried plum) and baekmae (白梅, salt-cured plum) are recorded as separate sub-entries with richer, more varied effects — resolving phlegm, stopping vomiting, and countering alcohol toxicity — distinct from the plain raw fruit covered here.
Is this the plum used for maesil-cheong (plum syrup)?
Yes — the same fruit. The Donguibogam records both the raw fruit's simple thirst-relieving effect and the more elaborate processed forms still used in Korean kitchens today.
Sources
- 동의보감 탕액편 (원문) — 한문 원문 발췌 — 한의학고전DB 탕액편 대조 검증 완료 (DATA-001)
- 한의학고전DB (mediclassics.kr) — 국역 참조 후 자체 재서술 (LEGAL-001)