During the cherry blossom festival, the hanami, Japanese people enjoy typical dishes. Presentation:
- Hanami, cherry blossom festival in Japan
- What do Japanese people eat during hanami?
- The variations of hanami in Japanese cuisine
- Wagashi, Japanese pastries
- Drinks with the image or taste of sakura
- Brands or restaurant chains unveil limited edition products for hanami with sakura flavors
Hanami, cherry blossom festival in Japan
Hanami 花 見 signifies literally contemplation of flowers. Indeed, after a rather harsh winter in Japan, spring is coming and the blossoming of cherry blossoms (called sakura 桜 in Japanese), is a celebration, an unmissable event. There is a daily weather forecast of Japan with the dates of blooming.
Namely, cherry blossom is the favorite of Japanese people, they contemplate the beauty of these trees from mid-March to early April (this may vary depending on the year and region).
Hanami is a traditional custom which consists in contemplating the beauty of these sakura trees, and the Japanese take advantage of this to meet under these trees in bloom to picnic, discuss, sing, and drink!
What do Japanese people eat during hanami?
The real question would be rather, what do we drink during hanami? Indeed, nowadays it is customary to drink alcohol, especially sake in particular, and some food like sushi and bento and korokke and onigiri there are no real traditional dishes, the only custom is to drink alcohol…
The Japanese let loose during this reunion, even a little too much“in 2012, on the first nine days of hanami, 74 people were taken to the emergency room for acute alcohol poisoning in Tokyo” according to Wikipedia.
It is an unavoidable custom for all Japanese people and a socio-professional obligation to get together to celebrate and get to know each other better.
In spite of this alcoholic aspect, hanami is a very serious event where you can see beautiful spots of cherry blossoms blooming. Not to be missed during your stay!
Variations of hanami in Japanese cuisine
For this festival, there are not really appropriate foods but bakeries and famous brands have created products for this event. Japanese people love this kind of ephemeral and original products. Here are some examples:
Wagashi, Japanese pastries
Sakura mochi 餅
The sakura mochi is a rice cake usually filled with red bean paste (anko 餡子) and surrounded by a sakura leaf which is slightly salty. Its texture is light and you can feel the texture of rice. Everything is eaten even the leaf. So don’t hesitate to try this dessert which is a change from our French pastries.
Sakura daifuku 大福
As for sakura daifaku, it is made with glutinous rice. Inside is usually a strawberry. Several recipes exist, you can find it filled with sweetened red bean paste, matcha green tea etc….
Hanami dango 団子
Hanami dango consists of three dumplings made from mochi, white rose and green arranged on a skewer. The dango is made with glutinous rice flour, its texture is quite elastic and soft
Sakura jelly
Sakura jelly is a gelatin pastry with a flower inside. Very pretty and refined!
Drinks with the image or taste of sakura
Sake sakura
Sake is a typically Japanese alcohol made from rice. For the occasion, sake flavored with cherry blossoms are marketed.
Sake tea :
These teas usually combine tea with cherry blossom petals.
Sake flower liqueur
This liqueur is also made from cherry blossoms.
Brands or restaurant chains are unveiling limited edition products for hanami with sakura flavor
We tasted these matcha green tea kat sakura kit, really different from our chocolate kat kit, it’s very good!
Starbucks sakura
Starbucks has declined its range in pink for the sakura, there are also 2 new recipes for the occasion “Frappuccino Sakura” with chocolate and a “Latte sakura” with strawberries.
Danone sakura
Macdonald’s sakura
Haagen-dazs sakura
My opinion: Hanami is a beautiful event not to be missed in Japan. You will come back with great pictures and memories! Hanami is also the opportunity to meet Japanese people who are usually quite reserved.
Japanese people never do anything by halves, it is well known. And it’s the least we can say for the hanami! An incredible marketing rampage is put in place during this period. Wherever you go in Japan you will not miss it! You will be immediately in the atmosphere for your greatest pleasure!
Also, at the beginning of spring, don’t forget the Setsubun festival, the festival of the arrival of spring on February 3, followed by the Hina Matsuri dolls festival on March 3!