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Zero-waste philosophy inspires limited-release Umi Ramen Spirit from Stone Barn Brandyworks.
We are so excited to announce our second annual Kobe + Portland Yakisoba Project sponsored by the City of Kobe to showcase the magic of yakisoba! This year we are telling the history of yakisoba sauce, which was invented in Kobe, to Portlanders through cook-at-home kits and recipes. Here we share a brief, incomplete history of yakisoba and doro sauce.
In a moment of unexpected whimsy and nostalgia, I found myself thinking about how in the world Umi came to be. There are lots of ways to tell this story, of course, but one route might be called “Ramens I have loved.” Here are my thoughts about the bowl of ramen in this picture, and my life in the moments that surrounded my eating this bowl. Right in the midst of the 2007-2008 financial crisis, as the Great Recession gaped open, this bowl of soup became a kind of anchor helping me find what gives me comfort and pleasure.
On Saturday at the Hollywood Farmers Market, we at Umi Organic tried something I’ve wanted to do for a long time: Sliding scale pricing. You know whether you are in a position to pay more or less, and we are trusting that you will make the decision that works for you. This is the same idea, writ large, that we are trying right now through our online store.
This week, our Oregon State Governor Kate Brown officially announced a STAY HOME, SAVE LIVES order. At the same time, food producers, groceries, and farmers markets fall into the exempt business and services category outlined in the Governor’s Executive Order 20-07. That means we can continue to provide you with food throughout this challenging period. We have decided at this current moment that we will continue to manufacture product for sale to groceries and through an online store. We are making home deliveries within the Portland area and shipping by USPS within the continental United States. We also plan to continue attending the farmers markets, which operate as outdoor grocery stores. The markets have put in place stringent protocols to maintain social distance and cleanliness. These were not easy decisions, and they come with careful planning. Your health and our own are more important than anything else. We wanted to share what we are doing to ensure our product is safe to eat and handle.
As this week has continued to unfold, I have been thinking a lot about whether or not we should attend the farmers market, and why I feel these places where local farmers and producers come in person are so important. Farmers feed us. Local farmers feed us in times of emergency. And right now, they need us, and we need them.
A dream of ours is fully underway! This school year, Portland and Eugene Public School Districts have brought our Umi Organic Yakisoba Noodles onto their menus. You’ll find our organic whole grain noodles on the Portland menu every six weeks and the Eugene menu every two to three. Learn the story of how this incredible opportunity developed and see photos from our first lunch in May.
Camas Country Mill has become a leader in our region and nation for bringing back medium-scale infrastructure and processing to agricultural communities. Tom and Sue Hunton lead both the mill and a farm growing a diversity of grain and pulse crops, both organic and conventional. We buy our organic whole grain Edison and Durum from Camas for the whole grain yakisoba noodle we developed for Portland Public Schools. Tom Hunton was generous enough to share Camas’ history with both grains.
Our Umi Organic booth at PSU Farmers Market is entirely delivered and picked up by bicycle through our partnership with B-line Urban Delivery. Learn the backstory and see what a trike filled to the brim with a market kit looks like!
Umi Organic whole grain yakisoba stir-fry noodles are being served for lunch in all Portland Public Schools (PPS) on May 14, 2019. This has been a long time in the making! Some might say since November of last year, when we met Whitney Ellersick, Senior Director of Nutrition Services for PPS. Some might say since Lola first tried yakisoba on her first trip to Japan as a 5th grader. Learn the backstory and find out how you can help us make sure this special lunch happens again.
Cyrus Ichiza and Ryan Wythe run Ichiza Kitchen, a sweetheart of a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Southwest that makes vegan food rooted in Cyrus’ deep knowledge of East and Southeast Asian cuisines, adding playfulness and imagination without losing the soul. The food is not only delicious but also spectacularly beautiful. We are honored to have our Umi noodles in their Pompoko Ramen. Take a peek inside and learn about Cyrus’ favorite childhood food and how he uses winter melon and white fungus in the winter.
Anna Witham makes ramen that expresses the ingredients being grown and raised around her in Oregon’s High Desert. Her restaurant, 123 Ramen, has an ever-evolving menu of Umi noodles, broth, meats, mushrooms and veggies that taste delicious and make you feel strong and nourished. Here’s a look inside the restaurant hidden in an industrial park in Bend and into the spirit of its owner.
As we look back at 2017, our first full year in business, we are grateful for the collaborative spirit we've encountered, over and over again. Explore our 2017 highlights, including the nonprofits we've supported and the events we've organized.
Milk Glass Mrkt has been serving our noodles since we started making them in 2016. The food at this breakfast and lunch place is memorably beautiful and delicious. Take a peek inside and meet owner and chef Nancye Benson.
I've had a dream for a long time now of taking over Slappy Cakes, the cook-your-own-pancake joint on Southeast Belmont, for a nighttime okonomiyaki party. And so we did, to delicious and fun results to benefit nonprofit Growing Gardens.
How do organic farmers grow wheat and why does it matter? Our CEO and co-founder Lola investigates in the latest issue of Communal Table. Here's a peek.
Why I love the movie Tampopo, the ultimate journey in self-discovery and noodles.
Save your Umi box! Repurpose it in a creative and gifty way. Show us what you created on Facebook or Instagram. Our five top entries will win super prizes. Now let your imagination run wild! (Details inside.)
Lola traveled to Japan with a Portland delegation of small business owners to meet with Japanese women farmers, help incredible chef Stacey Givens in the kitchen, harvest lotus roots, eat, and dream.
We built a 20-ft-long bamboo flume and sent Umi Organic fresh ramen noodles coursing down for people to catch with chopsticks at the King Farmers Market. And they did! See it for yourself!
A look back at Umi Organic origins, starting with Lola's Japanese studies in kindergarten in the Portland Public Schools.
Reflecting on our 7 years in Portland farmers markets, all that it’s given us, and where we are heading next.