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How to make pickled plums like the Japanese grandparents you may or may not have【Part 1】

Today in the SoraKitchen, we’re not just making umeboshi, we’re making umeboshi inside our office.

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Japan’s plum blossom season is here, and after-dark garden is one of the best spots to see them

One of Japan’s three most beautiful gardens gets even more beautiful with special ume illumination event.

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It’s time to get a jump on beautiful pink blossoms at this forest garden in Japan【Photos】

Why wait for sakura when ume are already almost here?

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Pizza Hut Japan’s pickled plum pizza is mercilessly aware of what it is【Taste test】

We try to wrap our head around the “Japanese Margherita” umeboshi pizza.

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Pizza Hut Japan creates Japanese plum pizza, calls it a “Japanese Margherita”【Photos】

Suddenly, Japan’s penchant for putting corn on pizzas seems relatively normal.

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Lush releases sakura bath bomb as part of new designed-in-Japan floral lineup【Photos】

Hanami, Kochi, and Hinamatsuri bath bombs are inspired by Japan’s three favorite springtime flowers.

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How to make epic umeboshi like a Japanese grandpa

92-year-old shares his recipe for making the best pickled plums. 

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KitKat releases new Japanese plum flavor to celebrate Japan’s most beautiful winter flowers

Ume sweets prove there’s more to seasonal desserts than just sakura.

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Bug hunt! Some areas offering rewards for alien beetles threatening Japan’s cherry blossoms

Municipalities and prefectures are hoping they can stop the dreaded red-necked longhorn beetle before they get out of hand.

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Sakura McFizz and fries with plum seasoning on sale now at McDonald’s

The pink-coloured items are a beautiful way to spruce up the menu for spring.

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Japan getting special spring caramel flavor, but this time it’s not sakura

Here’s a hint, this fruity flavor comes before the cherry blossoms.

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Like Japan’s plum blossoms, pickled plum and cheese tortilla chips are tragically fleeting

Japanese cuisine is often known for its subtle tastes which some might criticize as being downright “bland.” But there are some exceptions, one of which is umeboshi. This is a dried and pickled ume fruit which is a cross between a plum and an apricot. Umeboshi are very popular in Japan and have a sour and salty taste that will slap you in the face harder than a scorned lover.

By now you’re probably be thinking, “That vinegary plum sounds great! But what it really needs is some cheese mixed in.” Well, you’re in luck! Frito Lay Japan is way ahead of you and just released Ume & Cheese flavored tortilla chips. We sat down with a bag to see how this combination plays out in chip form.

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Sad news: 1,266 famous Tokyo plum trees get the axe to prevent spread of “plum pox”

It’s cherry blossom time in Tokyo, which means that the plum blossom season is just coming to a close, and one of Tokyo’s most popular spots to see plum blossom, Umeno Park in Ome, has finished the season with a sad announcement: it is chopping down all 1,266 of its famous plum trees to prevent the spread of a disease called plum pox.

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Chocolate covered shrimp chips are back in Japan!

We’ve seen our fair share of interesting and often downright weird snacks in Japan, from Mountain Dew poofs that actually fizz in your mouth to chocolatey dried squid. Now we’ve got one more for you: Chocolate covered shrimp chips. If you wrinkled your nose at the thought of crunchy shrimp snacks, you’ll double over at the sight of these sweet and savory snacks that smell of the sea.

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