Yoshidaya/Ume Café WAON （吉田屋・梅カフェWAON）

What?

Yoshidaya & Ume Café WAON

Where? Isohama-cho 546, Oarai-machi, Higashiibarakigun, Ibaraki Prefecture/茨城県東茨城郡大洗町磯浜町５４６番地

About

If you’ve ever had a bento (Japanese lunch box) or onigiri (rice ball), there’s a good chance you’ll have had an umeboshi, or pickled, dried plum. Umeboshi are traditional pickles made from ume, a distinct species of tree usually referred to as a plum but actually closer to an apricot.

Founded in 1830, Oarai’s Yoshidaya has been producing and selling umeboshi for eight generations. Now, the shop also houses ‘Ume Café WAON’, Japan’s first café and shop dedicated entirely to ume. With the exception of coffee, all products in the shop are made using ume and range from traditional umeboshi to sweet plum syrups and cakes.

How are umeboshi made?

Yoshidaya’s method for making umeboshi has changed little over the years. Ume are washed and then pickled in salt for around a month. The pickled ume are then dried naturally outside for around three days before adding final seasonings. During the drying process, the plums need to be turned regularly by hand to make sure they dry evenly. A traditional umeboshi has a strong salty, sour flavour and is a red-purple colour.