In ancient times, plums were one of the important condiments. In ancient books, the phrase "salt plum, golden plum, golden plum and exquisite harmony" refers to cooking food with salt plum. Now some ethnic minority areas still keep the method of seasoning with plums. Plums are generally made into preserves and jams except for a small amount used for raw food. The well-known buttered plum at home and abroad is made from ripe plum fruit, which is pickled, rinsed and dried, then soaked repeatedly in sugar juice made of white sugar and orange peel, and then dried and added with vanilla essence. Sour, sweet, salty and fragrant blend into one, which is contained in the mouth and has endless aftertaste. Plum fruit can be processed into sweet plum, sour plum and dried plum besides preserved plum. In addition, plum vinegar, plum sauce and plum wine can also be processed.
Plum blossom is flat, non-toxic and slightly sour, and has the functions of soothing the liver and relieving depression, strengthening the spleen and appetizing. Plum blossoms are often used in soups and dishes because of their delicate flowers to preserve their color and fragrance. Generally, 10 plum blossom is used, pedicled and pitted, and petals are taken for standby, such as plum blossom glass squid soup, plum blossom fish soup hot pot and so on. The soup is delicious and elegant.
Plum blossoms can also be used to make tea. It is recorded in A Dream of Red Mansions that Miaoyu treated her guests with plum blossom snow water five years ago. Plum blossom bud dew, called plum blossom dew, can be directly drunk to quench thirst, or can be used with honeysuckle dew; Or mix plum blossom with green tea and rock sugar and brew it with boiling water, which can replace tea and have the effects of soothing the liver, regulating qi, invigorating the spleen and appetizing. Healthy people can also stimulate appetite and refresh their minds.