Latest news with #HitomiWakamura
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tokyo woman wins at World Marmalade Festival with pear and yuzu preserve
A TOKYO woman has claimed the top prize with her entry into the Dalemain World Marmalade Awards in Cumbria with a pear and yuzu preserve. The awards, which were celebrating the 20th anniversary of the festival, took place in Dalemain, near Penrith, attracting thousands of entries from around the world. The Japanese native became the first international winner of the competition in its history. 2025 Homemade Double Gold Winner, Hitomi Wakamura (Image: Hermione McCosh) Director of the awards, Beatrice Hasell-McCosh said: 'It is a brilliant win for an overseas competitor in this competition which upholds the ideal in British standard marmalade making. 'It is a well deserved win for Hitomi Wakamura and special that it comes as we mark our 20th anniversary year and that she was able to travel all the way from Japan to be with us for the festival and to receive her prize in person.' Hitomi Wakamura, the victor, said it was a "great honour" to be chosen as winner in the homemade category. The winning marmalade will now go on sale at Fortnum & Mason in London, with a percentage of the proceeds going to the charity Hospice at Home. More than 3200 jars were submitted for judging. (Image: Hermione McCosh)Ms Wakamura said: 'It's a great honour that my yuzu and pear marmalade was chosen in the Homemade Competition this year. "I would like to thank all those involved for giving me this opportunity." A yuzu is a yellow citrus fruit akin to a mandarin orange. The awards saw more than 3,200 entries from around the globe, with places such as Argentina, Jordan, South Africa, Slovakia, Japan, Canada, Austria and beyond all represented. Since the competition started in 2005, the festival has raised almost £350,000 for Hospice, whilst 100 per cent of the Homemade entry fee goes to charity. This year's edition of the festival saw the record for most foreign visitors being broken, with visitors such as minister-counsellor for cultural and scientific affairs from the Spanish Embassy in London, Jose Robles, and the deputy high commissioner for Australia Elisabeth Bowes in attendance. Deputy High Commissioner for Australia Elisabeth Bowes (Image: Hermione McCosh) This international intrigue culminated in the formation of a sister festival in 2019 in Yawatahama City, Japan - a prime citrus growing area. The 2025 celebration also saw Karen Jankel, daughter of Paddington author Michael Bond, attend the festival.
The Guardian
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Oranges are not the only fruit: Cumbrian marmalade awards offer blend of fruits
Marmalade was never really my jam, but at the World Marmalade Awards at Dalemain house on the edge of the Lake District, I found myself a convert. The experience has given weight to my theory that you might fall in love with any food if you try it at its finest. Hate tomatoes? Go to Italy. Not a fan of marmalade? Savour a spoonful in the presence of beaming marmalade fanatics who have spent their lives devoted to creating the tangiest, sweetest, jelly-ish version of the preserve. At first I was sceptical about tasting the jam off the spoon. What is marmalade without the soft layer of butter? The crunch of toast? Surely it cannot be enjoyed without its accompaniments. Reassured by the purists, I dive in. The first one I try is Keya Jam, a marmalade made from citrus taiwanica, a fruit endemic to the forests of Miaoli in Taiwan. The marmalade is the perfect blend of sweet and bitter: honey notes come through more powerfully at the end and melt away the sharper taste of the citrus taiwanica. The texture is jelly-like, wobbling on the spoon. It's also smooth, with peel so finely cut it immediately melts in the mouth. Next up is the winner of the 'unusual' category: a marmalade made with Seville oranges, clementines, lemon, sugar and peanut butter. I was apprehensive about this one. I've never been a fan of mixing two big staples together. But I am pleasantly surprised. The peanut flavour immediately tickles through, but it's not overpowering, and gently fades into the background giving space for the citrus notes to shine through. Japanese marmalades are traditionally more bitter in taste, but Hitomi Wakamura's winning marmalade is the exception. The notes of pear make it deliciously sweet. Made with yuzu, a small, round citrus fruit, it's zesty and tastes exceptionally fresh, as if the fruit had just been picked off a tree. The mix of flavours are exquisite.
BBC News
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
World Mamalade title won by Japanese yuzu and pear preserve
A yuzu and pear preserve has taken the top title at the World Marmalade in it's 20th year, the festival at Dalemain, near Penrith in Cumbria, attracts thousands of entries from around the Wakamura, from Tokyo, said it was a "great honour" to be chosen as winner in the homemade champion marmalade will now go on sale at Fortnum & Mason in London, with a percentage of the proceeds going to the charity Hospice at Home. Beatrice Hasell-McCosh, director of awards, said: 'It is a brilliant win for an overseas competitor in this competition which upholds the ideal in British standard marmalade making. "Yuzu has become more and more popular in the past decade with many entries using this gorgeous, perfumed citrus in their recipes. "It is a well deserved win for Hitomi Wakamura and special that it comes as we mark our 20th anniversary year and that she was able to travel all the way from Japan to be with us and receive her prize in person."Hitomi Wakamura said: "It's a great honour that my Yuzu and Pear marmalade was chosen in the Homemade Competition this year. "I would like to thank all those involved for giving me this opportunity. " The 3,200 entries this year came from as far afield as Hawaii, New Zealand, South Korea, Botswana and Georgia, along with many from around the well as the citrus-based offerings, some contained more unusual ingredients such as caterpillars, capers and Irn Bru. Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
