梅實 Korean Plum (Maesil)

Original, read line by line 東醫寶鑑 · Tangaek — Decoctions vol. 2

1. 性平, 味酸, 無毒. 止渴, 令人膈上熱.

   Its nature is neutral, its taste sour, and it is non-toxic. It stops thirst and brings heat above the diaphragm.

   HomiclubMaesil is the fruit of the Japanese apricot, the plum-blossom tree. Its flowers open before the leaves in early spring, and the green fruit fills out in early summer; today it is put up as maesil syrup and pickles.

2. 生南方, 五月採黃色梅實, 火熏乾作烏梅. 又以鹽殺爲白梅. 又烟熏之爲烏梅. 暴乾藏密器中爲白梅. 用當去核, 微熬之.

   It grows in the southern regions; yellow plums are gathered in the fifth month and smoke-dried over fire to make omae (烏梅). They are also cured with salt to make baengmae (白梅). Again, smoking them yields omae, while sun-drying and storing them in a sealed vessel yields baengmae. For use the stone should be removed and the flesh lightly parched.

   HomiclubGwangyang and Suncheon in South Jeolla and Hadong in South Gyeongsang are still the noted plum districts. The fifth lunar month falls around June, matching the season when maesil is put up.

3. 生實, 酸而損齒傷骨, 發虛熱, 不宜多食.

   The raw fruit is sour, harming the teeth and injuring the bones and stirring up deficiency heat, so eating much of it is not fitting.

4. 盖人食酸則津液泄, 水生木也. 津液泄故傷齒, 腎屬水, 外爲齒故也. 《本草》

   In general, when a person eats something sour the fluids leak away, for water engenders wood. Because the fluids leak away the teeth are harmed, since the kidney belongs to water and manifests outwardly as the teeth. 《Boncho (本草)》