Blog

We have a slew of new products from Japan – that's kitchenware, sakes, beers, glassware, and more! Here are a few that have been especially popular. ALUMINUM COOL STRAW Enjoy your next iced tea,...

I met Yoshihiro Sako back in 2014 for the first time when I dined at Yuzuki in the Mission neighborhood of San Francisco, where he was the Sake Sommelier in the early to mid 2010s. Even back then it was hard not to notice the sparkle in...

Sake Gumi is our monthly sake subscription service with 150 members throughout California. Join today! Honjozo is a style of sake made for those who love to drink (like me!). It tends to be crisp, dry, and...

75 grams of liquid soy sauce is condensed into 20 grams of Crystallized Shoyu, making it a potent condiment that can be shaken on grilled meats, pasta, pizza, rice, or toast. This naturally fermented condiments has one-sixth the sodium of its...

These all natural hashi (chopsticks) are made with wood from Persimmon, Mandarin, or Peach trees and finished in beeswax for a silky smooth feel in your hands. Unlike hashi sealed with synthetic lacquer, these won't...

ZERO alcohol, ZERO gluten, and ZERO calories?? Could this be true?!?!?! Suntory All-Free is perfect for designated drivers, pregnant women, and those of us who want the taste of beer but don't want the alcohol, gluten, or calories! Non-alcoholic beer has always been...

Call them creepy, playful, or just plain weird – but you can't deny the drawings on this Tofu Spirits Tenugui Kitchen Towel are quite entertaining. From the bathing tofu man to the one shape-shifting into a tea kettle, each character is...

We have new totes in stock – you're going to love these! And even better, now you get 10% off your purchase when you bring in any of our totes to shop in our Oakland store (excludes Sake Gumi memberships and...

I seriously suck at gardening. I've even been known to kill succulents – that's how bad I am at keeping plants alive. Luckily, I'm surrounded by people with green thumbs, and I get to enjoy the fruits of their labor. This...

Our biggest sale of the year starts NOW online! We're giving online shoppers a head start on our Anniversary Sale, to pick and choose from barware, glassware, Studio Arhoj, and more, at...

Sake Gumi is our monthly sake subscription service with 150 members throughout California. Join today! Back in 2006, Kayoko had an idea to start a food blog. During Christmas break, we were both back in our hometown, Cupertino – Kayoko was living...

Combine two teaspoons of our No-MSG Dashi pellets with two cups of water for instant dashi! These pellets are made with flying fish and bonito. At last, you can enjoy umami without the MSG in a jiffy!

Beniotome is the pioneer of sesame shochu in Japan! Surprisingly neutral and clean at first (thanks to its make up of 60% wheat, 30% rice, and 10% sesame), but gives way to a rich sweetness of full-on toasted sesame. A smooth, mellow mouthfeel slides into a...

There is something so satisfying about sour cream and onion chips. Every time I have them, I am reminded how the flavor is nostalgic, and how it's the best complement to a sandwich or iced tea.  The concept behind this Cream Cheese...

After initially spotting this sake in Chicago and trying it, Yoko knew she had to get it in California for Umami Mart, and first introduced this bottle to Sake Gumi members in June. Sempuku Shinriki 85 is a Junmai Muroka Genshu...

The word penato for our Penato Knife refers to the knife's shape being similar to a pennant. The brass body encases the carbon steel blade and looks sleek in the office or at home. Use the Penato for a variety of jobs including, cutting paper,...

After six years of presenting Matsuri each year, I can confidently say that we know how to throw a good party. Every year, the party gets bigger and stronger. People show up earlier and stay longer. For all of us at Umami Mart, we...

HAMA NO IMOTASWEET POTATO SHOCHUThe LA Times calls this shochu, "a profoundly aromatic sweet potato shochu," and it certainly is! Smooth with hints of mineral, Hama no Imota is rich on the palate. The fragrances go wild...

Last spring, after a grueling flight from San Francisco and a layover, Yoko and I landed in a dark and rainy Kagoshima, a city on the southern island of Kyushu. We were exhausted, but so excited to start the visit – we had been invited by the Kyushu government who would take us...

Eigashima Shuzo, famed for its sake since the Edo period (1603-1868), is one of Japan's oldest whisky distilleries. The first to obtain their distillery license in 1919, they began making shochu and other spirits. Since 1984, they have been producing Akashi whiskies at their White Oak facility...