Umeboshi plums are an essential part of the Japanese diet. Two women were so fascinated by this tradition that they even started a company. Ozuke was founded in Boulder, Colorado, USA, in 2011.
The idea began when Mara King, who had started her career as a Japanese chef, retired and struggled to find work. She met Willow King, who shared the same last name. The two women hit it off and began meeting in the kitchen every few weeks to conduct various experiments together.
Their experiments initially involved making cheese and salami, but gradually shifted to fermented foods and sauerkraut, which Mara was familiar with from her career. The two then founded Ozuke. What began as a way to entertain family and friends has grown into a successful company with employees within a few years. The two credit their success to Boulder's thriving natural foods community, where the community has generously shared their knowledge and advice.

Ozuke's "Umeboshi" uses sweeter, fruitier California plums instead of the so-called "ume" plums found in Japan. The reason for this was to make the Japanese umeboshi more accessible to Western palates, as the flavor of Japanese umeboshi is unfamiliar to them. The flavor is similar to Japanese umeboshi, with a sour and salty finish. They often hear people describe it as reminiscent of pickled lemons.

In addition to "Umeboshi," their current product lineup includes "Kim Chi" and the innovative "Cheriboshi," made with pickled cherries. All are packaged in bottles with charmingly designed labels.

We asked Mara if she would like to share a message for Japan, and she readily agreed. "Ozuke is inspired by pickling traditions from around the world, but I want you to know that Japanese food and traditions have had a huge influence on it. I'm also really grateful to Japan for inventing natto... it's my favorite food!"

This article has been translated and written with permission from (Source: http://ozuke.com/).