Short answers, pulled from the story.
Plums are among the first fruits domesticated by humans, with origins in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus Mountains, and China. The scholar Ken Albala has placed plum origins specifically in Iran. Three of the most widely cultivated species, Prunus domestica, Prunus salicina, and Prunus simonii, are not found in the wild and exist only near human settlements.
China is by far the largest producer of plums, accounting for 55% of world production. In 2023, global plum and sloe production combined reached 12.5 million tonnes. Romania and Chile are the next largest producers after China.
Japanese or Chinese plums are cultivars of Prunus salicina or its hybrids, known for being large, juicy, and long-lasting, which makes them dominant in the fresh fruit market. European plums, primarily Prunus domestica, include varieties such as Damson, Greengage, Mirabelle, Victoria, and prune plums, and are more commonly used for cooking, drying into prunes, and making brandy.
The Victoria plum was first sold in 1844. Its lasting fame has been attributed to good marketing rather than to any exceptional inherent quality of the fruit.
Plums are used to produce several alcoholic beverages worldwide. In the Balkans, they are distilled into slivovitz, called šljivovica in Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin, and Serbian. In Romania, 80% of the plum harvest goes into a brandy called tuica. In Hungary, plums are used to make palinka. In central England, a cider-like drink called plum jerkum is also made from plums.
Plum seeds, also called kernels, contain amygdalin, a cyanogenic glycoside that produces a cyanide-like poison. This compound is also found in other members of the rose family. The flesh of the plum is safe to eat; it is the seed inside the pit that contains the toxic compound.