Taylor Weik

Taylor Weik is an LA-based writer covering Asian American communities. Her essays and journalism have appeared in Teen Vogue, NBC Asian America, Catapult, and more. She’s also the co-founder and editor of よ! (Yo!) Magazine, a zine celebrating Japanese American culture.

JUNE 2020 NONFICTION: CENTURIES OF BETTER

"For a long time, I was ashamed of myself for never being able to warm up to umeboshi."

Umeboshi (n): Fermented ume fruits common in Japan. While the Prunus mume, or ume fruit, is more commonly known as a plum, it’s technically a member of the apricot family.

 

The first time I saw umeboshi, dozens of them squished into a jar and sitting on a shelf in my family’s fridge, I screamed. I was maybe 6 or 7, foraging for an afterschool snack, and instead of a juice box, I was face-to-face with bottled-up alien parts, faded red and soaking in what looked like blood.