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What is Anbai ?
The word “anbai” (塩梅) has four meanings: the seasoning or flavor balance of a dish, the condition of things, one’s health status, and appropriately handling matters. Despite the impression given by the characters for “salt” (塩) and “plum” (梅), “anbai” has various meanings beyond those related to cooking. Additionally, a seasoning that combines vinegar, sake, mirin, sugar, and spices is sometimes called “anbai-zu” (塩梅酢).
Origin and Etymology of “Anbai”
As the kanji characters suggest, “anbai” originally came from “salt” (塩) and “plum” (梅). Although one might think of umeboshi (pickled plums), the actual origin of “anbai” lies in “umezu” (plum vinegar). Today, vinegar is typically made by fermenting brewed alcohol with acetic acid bacteria, but before this method was developed, salt and umezu were used to season food.
Umezu is the liquid that seeps out when plums are pickled in salt. Umezu naturally forms when making umeboshi, but interestingly, umezu was discovered before umeboshi, which is said to have originated from people eating the plums left over after making umezu.
Since only salt and umezu were used for seasoning, even slight differences in their proportions would significantly affect the flavor. When the seasoning was well-balanced, people would say “The anbai is good,” which is believed to be the origin of the term “anbai.”
