Blog

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...

Kettles with long necks, like our Kaico Drip Kettle, are also known in the industry as "Gooseneck" kettles and are ideal for controlling the flow of hot water into your morning cup of pour over coffee. You want to keep the flow slow and...

Sake Gumi is our monthly sake subscription service with 150 members throughout California. Join today! This month, we will be focusing on Tokubetsu sakes. Tokubetsu means "special" in Japanese. In the world of sake types there is the Tokubetsu Junmai and Tokubetsu Honjozo. As you may...

Awamori is a distilled spirit made with long grain rice that can only be made in Okinawa, Japan. It has a distinct grassy, pungent aroma, and can be potent. Just one glass can pack a punch! Ryukyu Ohcho Awamori, crafted by Tarawaga...

We waited several months for these tenugui to arrive stateside. In blue and white variations, we love the retro sake bottles and bottle caps that adorn this square-shaped 100% cotton tenugui. Use them to dress up a suit pocket for...

Shochu is a drink that I have enjoyed immensely in the last decade, and to further my education about the spirit, I flew to Los Angeles last summer to take a certification course to become a Shochu Adviser. Put on by the Sake School of America near Little Tokyo,...

Distilled in Wakayama, famous for its ume (Japanese plum), this Yuzu Umeshu is sweet and sour with a kick – thanks to the pleasant marriage of ume, yuzu, and shochu. We recommend trying this umeshu on the rocks or with soda. A refreshing drink...

Hand-cast in classic terracotta clay and developed in collaboration with plant experts, the Tri-Pot by Studio Arhoj is designed with hollow legs allowing excess water to drain down into the matching saucer. The pots are unglazed and will in time develop...