Plum

About

Plums range widely in color, from red, orange, and yellow to green, blue, or purple, with "white" plums actually being pale yellow with a natural bloom on the skin. There are over 200 plum species; the most commercially important are the European plum (Prunus domestica), typically oval, and the Chinese or Japanese plum (Prunus salicina), typically rounder. Ripe plum flesh has a mellow fruitiness combining notes of apple, banana peel, strawberry, and peach, along with a floral, citrusy compound called linalool also found in coriander seed; the flesh can also taste slightly grassy, fatty, or nutty, sometimes recalling bitter almond or coconut, while the skin is sharper and more bitter by contrast. Plums are used to make preserves, jellies, and spirits such as slivovitz, mirabelle eau de vie, and damson gin; greengages and damsons, both close relatives, belong to the same species.

Pairs well with plum

• CiLemonLemon's sharp acidity and buttery pastry in a lemon tart contrast well with the sweet flesh and bitter skin of fresh plums, a simple but…
• EaPotatoHungarian szilvás gombóc, German Zwetschgenknödel and Polish knedle ze śliwkami are all versions of potato-dough dumplings wrapped around…
• CiOrangeLekvar, a Hungarian spiced plum butter, is made by slow-cooking pitted plums, often with orange or lemon zest, cinnamon or clove.
• WoAlmondAlmond liqueurs and crushed amaretti cookies intensify plum's flavor, echoing the mild bitter-almond note naturally present in plum pits…
• SpCinnamonA cinnamon-spiced plum torte, a pound cake topped with halved plums and cinnamon, was a long-running New York Times seasonal favorite.
• FrAppleApple and plum jam has a mixed reputation, British soldiers in the First World War grew tired of it as a dietary staple.
• CrCoconutCoconut lends plum a creamy, peach-like quality via the same lactones responsible for peach's more tropical notes, a pairing that benefits…
• ChCheeseBlue cheeses such as Oregon's Rogue River Blue pair well with fruit compotes, and plums, in season around the same time the cheese is…
• SuCornIn Japan, salty-sour umeboshi plums are rubbed onto cooked corn cobs instead of butter, giving an initial saltiness followed by a fruity…
• CrRaisinIn medieval usage, "plum" could refer to any dried fruit, including raisins, which is why actual plums don't appear in plum (Christmas)…
• CrDateFresh (rather than dried) Bahri dates are available in fall and pair especially well with seasonal fruit such as plum and apple, also melon.
• GrFennelA Hawaiian seasoning called li hing mui, or "crack seed" powder, is made from unripe plum, licorice, sugar and salt and sprinkled over…
• EaLentilPlum's slightly vinous fruitiness works well in savory dishes, including warm lentil salads or Puy lentils cooked to serve alongside pork…
• CrPrunePrune is essentially plum's older, more concentrated self.
• GrKaleKale and plum make a good bittersweet salad combination, best with a dressing on the sour side; a salty cheese or a miso-pickled egg both…
• EaRyeRye's dark, assertive character suits desserts less associated with delicate pastry and more with bold flavors like chocolate or ginger,…
• RoMaple syrupMaple syrup carries dried-fruit notes such as prune and raisin, along with hints of grapefruit, mango or peach, and plum responds…
• MaSeaweedScottish seaweed producer Mara recommends pairing dulse seaweed with red fruits like tomato, cherry, strawberry and rhubarb for fruit…
• WoOatDamson plums, a small, intensely flavored variety, are often used in preserves, infused spirits, or crumble.
• WoPistachioPistachio has been described as tasting of "sweet green sap," while raw plum carries a similar green sweetness leaning more toward grass.
• SpBay leafTrue culinary bay (Laurus nobilis) has a warm, nutmeg-like flavor well suited to plum preserves, pickled peaches or plum compote, where it…
• BeElderberryPlum's bitter-almond notes should in theory complement elderberry, but ripe, flavorful plums are hard to find, so cooks more often use…
• EaKidney beanIn the Georgian dish lobio tkemali, red kidney beans are paired with nuts, spices and tkemali, a sauce made from sour Caucasian plums;…
• WoPoppy seedGround poppy seed and sliced plum baked into a sponge cake create a slightly bitter, red-fruit variation on apple-and-almond cake; the…
• FfLycheeThe pluot, a plum-apricot cross, was bred to intensify plum's flavor, with some varieties noted for spiced-fruit or fruit-punch-like notes.