Cherry blossom

Tag Archives: Cherry blossom

Somen Noodle and Cherry Blossoms Hot Pot

Sakura Nyumen

I always get so excited when the spring season comes and make a lot of cherry blossom-theme dishes. This is one of them and I add salt-preserved sakura (cherry blossom) flowers to the broth, and I even use the pink sakura-flavored somennoodles made from flour and sakura from Japan. The aroma of sakura in this dish is just so beautiful. But, don’t worry if you don’t have any of them! You can totally make the delicious somen hot pot without the sakura flavors, and this dish can be enjoyed all year round. You can also change the other ingredients to cook with the noodles by using different kinds of mushrooms or tofu, if you like. It’s so gentle on the stomach and always comforting.

Cherry Blossom Mochi with Sweet Azuki Bean Filling

Sakura Mochi

Sakura Mochi is a flavored traditional seasonal wagashi (Japanese sweet) enjoyed throughout Japan during the spring season. It’s flavored with salt-preserved sakura (cherry blossom) flowers and wrapped in a cherry blossom leaf. There are actually two most popular kinds, the Kanto style (Eastern style…represented by Tokyo), for which the anko (sweet azukibean paste) is wrapped in a thin mochi flour pancake, and Kansai style (Western style…represented by Kyoto), for which the anko is wrapped in soft steamed mochi, called domyoji. Even though I grew up in Tokyo, I have always preferred Kansai style more because I love the texture of the domyoji mochi so much. So, this is the recipe of my sakura mochi I make every year during the sakura season. I get the pink colored domyoji mochi flour, but you can also make with the regular (white) domyoji mochi flour. You can also make it without any preserved sakura (cherry blossom), and it will be a simple delicious treat of domyoji mochi and anko.

Cherry Blossom & Tofu Skin Rice

Sakura Yuba Gohan

In the spring time, Japan is all about sakura (cherry blossoms). People go out to see the beautiful sakura trees in full bloom and also enjoy both sweet and savory treats using sakura flowers and leaves. With thin and tender yuba (tofu skins), this dish is full of spring flavors! The additional Mochi Mugi barley also adds the nice texture. Salt-preserved (pickled) sakura can be found at some Japanese markets and online specialty stores.