Just as Naoshima is famous for its Shio (salt) cider, Kamakura is famous for its Ume (plum) flavored cider. Plum is grown locally in Kamakura, and so popularly used in dishes in the city that even the 100 yen stores have packaged plums for sale!

The Kamakura Ume Cider does not taste like Umeshu (plum wine) but instead has a gentler, more refined flavor. The flavor is softer, as the sweet tang is complemented by the fizziness of the carbonation. The glass bottle preserves the flavor well, offering you the best quality product. For ¥160, you can get a nice decent sized glass bottle of Kamakura Ume Cider. I picked my bottle up at a convenience store on Komachi-dori, the street shopping plaza that you will take if you plan to walk to Daibutsu (The Great Buddha).

 

With the first sip, you may wonder to yourself: "What is so special about this sweet soda?" But as you continue sipping, you will realize that the aftertaste that lingers on your tongue is one that is so unique. The sweetness of the plum hits you first, but as you let the soda sit on your tongue, the sour tang of the plum will hit you almost by surprise. The pleasant surprise will remind you of any ume dishes you have ever eaten.

 

The ume flavor especially tastes like the delicious ume center of an ume-filled onigiri! It is a refreshing drink that soothes your throat, and leaves you feeling happily satisfied. The taste lingers on your tongue, urging you to sip some more, as it is so tasty!

 

After reaching Kamakura Station, on your way to Daibutsu, The Great Buddha Statue, you may choose to either walk to the temple or take a bus or the Enoden (Enoshima Electric Railway) line. Either way, you can stop to pick up a bottle of Ume cider for the short commute. You can also pick up a bottle (or two!) as you leave Kamakura, so you can take a bit of Kamakura home with you in a glass bottle! The bottle also makes a great, sturdy vase for a few stalks of flowers, which is makes the Kamakura Ume Cider a great, versatile souvenir for your taste buds and for your home.




By Cordelia Ding