Plum Blossoms 2

Do you know, plum blossoms have other applications.

In mainland China and Taiwan, sour plum juice suanmeitang (酸梅湯; ) is made from smoked plums, called wumei (烏梅).The plum juice is extracted by boiling smoked plums in water and sweetened with sugar to make suanmeitang.

Plum liquor, also known as plum wine, is popular in both Japan and Korea, and is also produced in China. Umeshu (梅酒; sometimes translated as "plum wine") is a Japanese alcoholic drink made by steeping green plums in shōchū (焼酎; clear liquor). It is sweet and smooth.

In Chinese cuisine, plums pickled with vinegar and salt are called suanmeizi (酸梅子; sour plum fruits), and have an intensely sour and salty flavour. They are generally made from unripe plum fruits. Huamei (話梅) are Chinese preserved plums and refers to Chinese plums pickled in sugar, salt, and herbs. There are two general varieties: a dried variety, and a wet (pickled) variety.

The plum blossom, which is known as the meihua (梅花), is one of the most loved flowers in China and has been frequently depicted in Chinese art and poetry for centuries. The plum blossom is seen as a symbol of winter and a harbinger of spring. The blossoms are so beloved because they are viewed as blooming most vibrantly amidst the winter snow, exuding an ethereal elegance, while their fragrance is noticed to still subtly pervade the air at even the coldest times of the year. Source: Wiki.

Here I have 2 teapots modelled on the plum blossoms and they are called plum blossoms pots. The pots are made in the 80s using red zisha.

 

Other than teapots, even  craftsmen from Jindecheng  had in centuries created vases they called Meiping, also plum blossom vase, as early as the Yuan dynasty. These vases have an elegant and slim body with a small mouth, very feminine.

Meiping from the Song dynasty

If you like, there is a song of plum blossoms sung by Fei Yuqin; Just click on the UOL below:

http://youtu.be/MfiuQupcQxU