How it is made

Two expressions of ume, two expressions of tea

Umenoyado blends green-tea and hojicha extracts into an umeshu made with both green and fully ripened Japanese ume. Freshness, roast and fruit are designed to remain distinct while sharing the same structure.

Green and ripe ume form the fruit base

Green ume brings taut acidity, while fully ripened fruit supplies a rounder, more generous plum character.

Green tea and hojicha are layered in

Green-tea and hojicha extracts add freshness, mild bitterness and a roasted aroma, bringing a clean counterpoint to the plum’s sweetness.

The result

Tea bitterness gives the sweetness definition

The freshness of green tea and the warmth of roasted hojicha shape the umeshu’s gentle sweetness, leading to a bright, balanced finish without allowing either fruit or tea to dominate completely.

Taste profile

Plum fruit, fresh green tea and a roasted finish

Pale gold to amber in colour, with fresh green-tea aromas, an earthy roasted note from hojicha, and a round impression of ripe ume and honey. The texture is silky; mild bitterness and lively acidity bring the sweetness into balance before a calm, tea-toned finish.

Food affinities

Four directions guided by tea-roast and ripe plum

Food affinities for UMENOYADO Green-Tea Umeshu are not a pairing the producer has presented officially, but a reading drawn from the characteristics recorded on this page. The double structure of green and ripe ume fruit meeting the freshness of green tea and the roast of hojicha runs through the four directions below.

Hojicha roast meeting grilled aromaCharcoal-grilled chicken, Thai grilled pork skewers (moo ping), a plate of roasted almonds and cheese. The roasted, earthy note of hojicha runs in the same direction as grilled and smoky aromas, and the two align.

Green tea freshness lightening richnessGrilled eel (unagi kabayaki), Thai poached chicken rice (khao man gai), fish and chips. The freshness carried by green tea lightens the finish of rich, fatty dishes.

Mild bitterness balancing savoury depthJapanese rolled dashi omelette (dashimaki tamago), Thai green papaya salad (som tam), an herb salad with vinaigrette. The mild bitterness from green tea balances savoury and acidic dishes without adding weight.

Ripe plum and honey meeting a sweet finishMatcha warabimochi, Thai coconut-milk pomegranate dessert (tab tim krob), a honey and nut tart. The honeyed sweetness of ripe ume sits alongside the tea-toned finish, meeting sweet dishes at the end of a meal.

Matching aroma works as a simple overlap in cases like citrus or roasted notes, but the structure of a pairing is set by sweetness, acidity and texture. The roasted, fresh character shared by green tea and hojicha is used here as a starting point, alongside the structural balance in which bitterness and acidity temper sweetness across the four directions.

Pairing guide — Umeshu

The producer

Umenoyado in Katsuragi, Nara

Umenoyado was founded in Katsuragi, Nara, in 1893. Its name recalls an old plum tree in the brewery garden and the nightingales that visited it. UMENOYADO Green-Tea Umeshu connects that long association with ume to two contrasting expressions of Japanese tea.

Official producer website

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