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FOOD: Go Pink for Spring
Sakura season is upon us as Japan’s famous cherry trees burst into bloom – heralding spring by painting the country candy floss pink. And it’s not just the trees that change colour as temperatures rise, a myriad of sakura-themed goods hit Japan’s shelves from cafes to corner shops in celebration of the shifting seasons.
Here are our top five powder pink snacks to get your teeth stuck into this spring.
1. Pink everything at Starbucks
Unrivalled champions of sakura season, Starbuck’s sugary pink spring-time offerings are beyond compare. Just as we wave goodbye to Christmas-themed gingerbread lattes for another year, Japan’s best-loved coffee shop gets us excited about the arrival of warmer weather with a plethora of millennial pink treats. Look out for the Instagram-friendly Sakura Strawberry Pink Mochi Frappuccino, Sakura Strawberry Pink Milk Latte and Sakura Strawberry Pink Tea, as well as a massive selection of sakura-themed snacks, drinkware and gifts. All your cherry-blossom dreams come true…
2. Sakura Super Dry
More pink drinks, but this time with a kick – Asahi Super Dry’s limited edition sakura-adorned cans are the perfect accompaniment to any blossom-viewing party. Japan’s most popular beer, you’ll find Asahi’s limited edition pink cans at almost every convenience store throughout sakura season. Be sure to look out for this year’s new fruity brew ‘Sakura no Utage’ or ‘Cherry Blossom Banquet’.
3. Festive Kit Kats
Never missing a trick when it comes to new flavour varieties, Kit Kat famously launch a new spring-themed range of bars every year. Perfectly timing the release to coincide with school graduation and entrance ceremonies, festive sakura-themed Kit Kats have become the go-to good luck gift for new or graduating students. Head to one of Kit Kat’s specialist ‘Chocolatory’ stores for this year’s most exclusive spring-time flavours.
4. Sakura Taiyaki
Sold by street food vendors at hanami (flower viewing) festivals across Japan, special candy-coloured taiyaki are served in celebration of the season’s famous pink blooms. Alongside the traditional sweet bean filling, look out for unique flavours such as chestnut or sakura jam and mochi.
5. Sakuramochi
Another traditional Japanese sweet reinvented for cherry blossom season, look out for sakuramochi. Sweet pink-coloured rice cakes (mochi) filled with a red bean paste (anko) are wrapped in a pickled cherry blossom leaf which subtly flavours the treat. With distinct regional variations, sakuramochi are eaten in their thousands at hanami parties, and in particular on Girl’s Day, or ‘hinamatsuri’, on March 3rd.
