Italian plums (Prunus domestica) are small, oval European plums with deep blue-purple skin, golden-yellow flesh, and a sweet-tart flavor that becomes especially rich when cooked. Also known as Italian prune plums, they are a freestone variety traditionally enjoyed fresh or preserved through baking, canning, and drying. Italian plums provide fiber along with a diverse mixture of polyphenols, including anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, rutin, and chlorogenic and neochlorogenic acids. Many of these protective compounds are concentrated in the dark skin, making whole, unpeeled plums especially valuable nutritionally. Their firm flesh makes them excellent for snacking, baking, roasting, sauces, preserves, and seasonal desserts.