Emily Stewart, executive chef at Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits, says that umeboshi “tastes like a Warhead that’s been tossed in vinegar, but with the texture of a pickled smushy fruit.” Made from the ume fruit, which is often referred to as a Japanese plum but is actually more like an apricot, umeboshi are packed in salt and left to ferment in their own liquid. “[Ume] are naturally salty and sour, and then [the Japanese] really lean into that flavor profile,” Stewart says. Famously, samurai warriors would eat umeboshi to promote vitality and energy before going into battle.
Shaker pie always has a top crust, Stewart says, so she laid another piece of rolled-out dough over the filling and crimped the edges, being careful not to let the filling squeeze out. Over the top she sprinkled Sugar in the Raw to add texture, sweetness, and caramelization, then baked the pie for a total of about an hour.
