Hanami Sake: Sake and Sakura Blossoms (花見酒)
Sake flavored with cherry blossoms is a wonderful spring treat in Japan. The sakura bloom only last a few days, so this fleeting pleasure of life must be sought out and enjoyed!
Many of the trees in Kyoto look like they have been covered in a thick, fluffy pink snow. These are of course, the Japanese sakura cherry trees covered in delicate blossoms.
Hanami (花見) means ‘flower viewing’. This is a favorite custom with the Japanese. Many people gather along riversides, in parks and on the grounds of temples and shrines to picnic, barbecue, drink and be merry under the sakura blossoms.
About the Sake:
Peko has a new best friend; Furosen Kidarujikomi Muroka Namagenshu Yamahai Jyunmai Daiginjo (不老泉木樽仕込無濾過生原酒山廃純米大吟醸), a very long name for a very tasty and rare breed of sake. Very, very good stuff! One of the best sakes I have ever had. This sake is produced in Shiga Prefecture, just over the mountain from Kyoto by Uehara Shuzo (上原酒造).
Sakura and Sake
Sakura and Sake
Sakura and Sake
Sakura and Sake
love your spring-y photos!
I’m curious, does the Sakura add flavor to the sake or is it more a visual thing?
Thanks kat!
Hello there Marc @ NoRecipes,
Great question, thanks!
Yes, the sakura does impart a flavor. Sakura is not extremely fragrant, it is delicate, but the sakura flavor definitely there in the sake. Hanamizake is not just our invention, it is served as an apéritif (at upscale restaurants) in the spring.
Ume (plum blossom) on the other hand imparts a more pronounced flavor and the fragrance is very strong and delightful.
I’ll have to try it the next time I’m in Japan in spring:-)
sakura flavoured sake?! i want some of that now. pretty pictures. question, is there such a thing as sakura powder for cooking? just very curious as I have yet to taste sakura as it is, rather than from manufactured flavours.
Hi Diva,
OK, we studied up on ‘sakura powder’. There are the following in common circulation (surely other more esoteric stuff somewhere in Japan):
Salted Sakura Blossoms: Used for tea, etc. Very salty. The whole blossoms are most common, but ground can also be had.
Sakura Leaf: This actually where the most ‘sakura‘ flavor comes from. Powdered sakura leaf comes in two forms; salted and not salted.
Got it?
hey peko, thanks! i did a little search and found some sakura tea. very interesting, didn’t realise it was salty though. thanks for the sakura facts!
yeah, that tea is PA-RETTY salty! one blossom per cup. a little goes a long way!
Very beautiful:)
peko! how’s it going.
i’ve tagged you for Top 10 Pictures. it’s one interesting food-tagging thing going on. check out my blog for more details.x
Very interesting and beautiful combination! This would be one of the must-try things if I’m in Japan at the right time of the year 🙂
Hello tokyoastrogirl,
Thanks for stopping by! Nice blog! Love anything Mexico. Most of all, I love your tagline;
“One Los-Angeles-by-way-of-Tokyo-by-way-of-Los-Angeles girl’s adventures in all things culinary.”
Hi Diva, Thanks girl! You are my hero! xxoo
Hi Veron, Hey there! Glad to have a visit from such a renowned blogger and foodie!! Yes, this is a must try, but ume (plum) blossom is MY recommendation for YOU.
Gorgeous! It’s a shame sakura doesn’t grow here in Alaska, or I’d be out picking some flowers to try it for myself. Fantastic photos, fellow sake lover!