Blog

We're excited to announce our Third Annual Sake Dinner with Camino on Sunday, March 25th! This is one of our favorite events of the year – how could you pass up a night of drinking sake alongside...

Camino restaurant in Oakland and Umami Mart go way back. Yoko first wrote about the restaurant in 2010! Then, I began bartending there a few nights a week, where it was the first time I used a jigger for measuring. It was a revelatory moment in...

Our location in Old Oakland has given us the opportunity to have the best parties with our neighbors, The Trappist. For five years, we have collaborated with them to bring you Japan Beer Fest. It's an annual event during SF Beer Week that...

Yuzu Kosho is a Japanese paste made with fresh chilis fermented with yuzu and salt. Bon Appetit has called yuzu kosho the, "secret weapon condiment chefs are putting on everything."  The green yuzu kosho uses green chiles. It has a satisfyingly coarse texture that reveals grains of salt, yuzu zest, and green...

  Often times, you will see green and red yuzu koshos side by side at Japanese markets, and even here at Umami Mart. We get asked all the time "What's the difference between the red and green yuzu kosho?"  The

he popular Stella Coupe by Kimura is back in stock! The Stella's extra wide surface area not only looks elegant, but enhances the aroma of the cocktail. Kimura Glass Company in Eastern Tokyo has been making stunning, handcrafted glassware since...

Tart and sweet, this junmai sake from Homare Brewery in Fukushima is infused with yuzu juice. It's low in alcohol and great for a brunch apertif or cocktails like the Love Yuzu!

This February at Umami Mart, it's Love Yuzu month. Although we are grateful for our boos and family during the month of love, here at Umami Mart, it's all about loving certain foods and drinks. Thanks to my sister's tree in Berkeley...

It's been super warm these past weeks in the Bay Area - WTF, it's February! Punxsutawney Phil predicted six extra weeks of winter, and by golly I will continue drinking like we're in the depths of winter. That means mulled wine, warm sakes, mixing hot water with shochu,...

Add a touch of yuzu – an Asian citrus with a subtle, bright flavor – to your next recipe with Yakami Orchard's Yuzu Juice. Made with 100% pure yuzu grown in the Miyazaki region of Japan, this juice can be used in salad...

The actual yuzu fruit is only around for a short period of time during the year – but we've got you covered with plenty of yuzu condiments and ingredients to enhance your cooking and cocktailing. Go wild with yuzu!

We're super excited to announce our Fifth Annual Japan Beer Fest on Saturday February 17th. It's hard to believe that we have been presenting this event since 2014, always with The Trappist, in conjunction with 

It's always a relief to get through the holidays. As a retail store owner, it is our busiest time and there is little time to cook at home or contemplate what to eat. Now that we are a few weeks into 2018, I've had more...

Yuzu is a unique citrus from Asia with fragrant, floral notes. There's not so much juice in it actually, and in Japan, the skin or zest is used more often to add the distinct essence of yuzu into dishes, desserts, and drinks. We love yuzu here at...

It's time for a new year's cleanse! Put one piece of our binchotan (white charcoal) in your water pitcher and get clean, crisp water you've always wanted without the excessive plastic packaging. Besides, what's inside those Brita filters anyway? ...

From our double-brewed shoyu to our nama (unpasteurized) shoyu, our new soy sauces give new meaning to the term "craft brew." These rich, smooth shoyus come from breweries that go back generations, aging them for years using organic Japanese soy beans and...

Make your goals come true with the help of our Daruma, hand made in Fukushima, Japan.The Daruma (derived from the word Dharma) doll, is a talisman that serves as a good luck symbol. Their purpose is to...

It's no secret here at Umami Mart – I am a huge fan of yamahai and kimoto style sakes. So much so that I dedicate one month of Sake Gumi to them every year. Earthy, mushroomy, acidic, and savory are just...

The Umami Mart Travel Mug is so popular it's in its 3rd printing! Introduced in 2010, one fan declared, "I am not sure I can drink coffee if it is not in that mug!" This double-walled mug, designed by Studio Arhoj,...

Create your own kissaten (Japanese coffee shop) with our new Hario coffee tools! From the Bona Kettle to the Metal Drip Coffee Decanter, we've got the tools to get from bean to cup.The enamel Bona Kettle is...