The Japanese snack manufacturer, Oyatsu Company, is launching a new product with a refreshing taste perfect for the New Year: “Baby Star Dodekai Ramen (Ume Flavor),” available for a limited time starting December 22, 2025.
In Japan, the “Ume” (or Japanese plum) has long been cherished as a flower that heralds the arrival of spring. Its fruit is a very popular ingredient, often salt-pickled or used to flavor sweets and dishes. Its distinctive sourness, in particular, evokes the feeling of a new season beginning.
This new snack is one of the spin-off series from the long-selling “Baby Star Ramen,” a product that continues to be loved by many Japanese people.
An Elegant Ume Sourness to Welcome Spring Early
“Baby Star Dodekai Ramen (Ume Flavor),” as the name suggests, is a snack featuring wide noodles that are easy to pick up and eat.
The greatest feature of this product is the umeboshi paste, made from plums from the renowned Japanese plum-growing region of “Kishu,” which is kneaded directly into the noodle dough. This allows you to fully experience the authentic flavor of the ume.
Furthermore, red shiso flakes are also mixed in to add a refreshing aroma, making it a delight for both the sense of taste and smell. The snack is finished with an ume-flavored powder coating, and with just one bite, an elegant ume sourness and shiso aroma spread throughout your mouth.
Its delicate and deep flavor is so captivating it’s as if the landscape of early spring in Japan comes to mind.
Product Details
This “Baby Star Dodekai Ramen (Ume Flavor)” contains 62g, with an expected retail price of around 152 yen (including tax). It will be available for sale starting December 22, 2025, at Konbini and supermarkets nationwide in Japan. However, some stores may not carry it, so if you find it, be sure to pick it up.
At Japanese Konbini, it’s common for various limited-edition flavored products to appear with the changing of the seasons, making every visit an opportunity for new discoveries.
Choose by Texture: Another Ume Flavor
Oyatsu Company has also prepared another ume-flavored product so you can choose based on your texture preference. That product is “Baby Star Ramen Maru (Rich Ume Flavor).”
This one is scheduled to be released exclusively at Konbini stores nationwide in Japan starting January 19, 2026.
Enjoy a Rich Ume Flavor in a Single Bite
In contrast to the crispy texture of Dodekai Ramen, “Baby Star Ramen Maru (Rich Ume Flavor)” is a unique, bite-sized snack where you can enjoy a three-stage texture change: “crispy, crunchy, and crumbly.”
This version also uses umeboshi paste and, as its name “Rich” suggests, pursues a deep ume flavor. A single piece concentrates the refreshing sourness and rich aroma of plum, making it an irresistible item for ume lovers.
This product contains 59g, with an expected retail price of around 168 yen (including tax). With two “Ume Baby Star” snacks offering different textures and flavors, which will you choose?
When choosing snacks at a Japanese Konbini or supermarket, paying attention to these limited-time flavors will surely allow you to feel the depth and seasonality of Japan’s food culture even more. Why not enjoy a traditional Japanese taste to start the new year?
Source (Japanese): 新春に！紀州産梅の梅肉ペーストを使用した『ベビースタードデカイラーメン（梅味）』が期間限定発売
Post a Comment