Events & Projects
Odawara Juro-ume Brand Improvement Committee
Odawara Juro-ume, named by the Odawara City Society of Ume Studies in 1960, is a variety of ume plums that has been grown in Odawara for making umeboshi.
It is said that the name Juro was taken from one of the three major Japanese revenge tales called the Soga Monogatari, or the Tale of Soga, which features a warrior character Juro Soga and his brothers. In order to boost the brand awareness of the Odawara-born Juro-ume, the Odawara Juro-ume Brand Improvement Committee was established in 2008. The Committee created a brand concept, exhibited at FOODEX JAPAN 2009, and began developing a premium Juro-ume product in 2009, which is nearing completion.
Premium Juro-ume
Being a large and smooth-textured fruit, Juro-ume makes the finest variety of Odawara umeboshi, however, as their skin is rather thin and tears easily, growing and processing them requires great care. For making umeboshi from Juro-ume, we only use fruits that are fully-ripened on the trees and pickle them with the finest salt. In this way, you can enjoy the full ripeness of the delicate Juro-ume fruits. At present, the first premium Juro-ume umeboshi is undergoing the aging process and is expected to make its first appearance at the Soga Ume Matsuri, or the Soga Plum Blossom Festival, in February 2010.
New Juro-ume Dishes by Chefs
In order for customers to appreciate the delicacy of Juro-ume, professional hotel chefs created original Juro-ume recipes and held a tasting event at the Hilton Odawara Resort & Spa in September 2009. Approximately fifty guests were invited and fully enjoyed the original and unique dishes. Now, those Juro-ume dishes and food products are available at selected hotel restaurants and directly-managed stores. Created by the chefs of the following established hotels, they are expected to gain more and more popularity as a part of Odawara’s renowned hospitality.
Newly Created Juro-ume Dishes and Food Products
・Hilton Odawara Resort & Spa: Juro-ume Butter, Juro-ume French Bread, Hand-Kneaded Pasta with Sakura Shrimps
・Fujiya Hotel: Odawara Curry, Omusubi Bread with Soshu Juro-ume
・Hotel Daihakone: Pan-Fried White Fish with Queen Crab and Ume Vinegar Sauce, Juro-ume Jelly