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.
Umeboshi (n): Fermented ume fruits common in Japan. While the
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.