Sakura Flavour Guide: What Does Cherry Blossom Taste Like?
By Lisa Bot | Published 7 June 2024
Understanding Sakura Flavour
Cherry Blossoms In Japanese Culture
Cherry blossoms, or sakura, are more than just pretty flowers in Japan. They play a big role in spring traditions, especially hanami, where people gather under the blooming trees to enjoy the view. This tradition involves all the senses, with seasonal treats that capture the sakura essence.
Sakura symbolises beauty, the fleeting nature of life, and the cycle of renewal, giving deep cultural meaning to its flavour.
The Culinary Importance Of Sakura
In Japanese cooking, sakura is a sign of subtle elegance and an important flavour. The pink petals and leaves are preserved and used as unique ingredients. They are often pickled in salt and ume plum vinegar, giving them a special tangy taste that goes well with many dishes.
During spring, people celebrate with traditional foods like sakuramochi, a pink rice cake wrapped in a sakura leaf, and sakura tea, made by steeping pickled blossoms in hot water.
These food practices are part of Japan's history, making sakura a treat for both the eyes and the taste buds.
The Taste Of Sakura
What Sakura Tastes Like
Sakura has a unique taste that's hard to describe. It's slightly sweet with a hint of floral elegance and subtle notes that might remind you of cherries.
When preserved, the blossoms blend sweetness from sugar with gentle saltiness. This balance makes sakura flavour distinct and special, not just about the taste but the experience of spring.
Sakura’s Texture And Fragrance
The texture and fragrance of sakura add to its unique experience.
Sakura-flavoured sweets can be soft and slightly chewy if they contain actual petals, or smooth and creamy in sakura-infused treats like white chocolate. The aroma is delicate and sweet, enhancing the gentle floral notes of the taste.
Whether it's the blossoms or just the flavour essence, sakura offers a complete sensory experience, engaging your senses beyond just taste.
Sakura-Infused Creations In Japan
Traditional Treats With A Floral Twist
Adding sakura gives a floral touch to many traditional Japanese sweets, bringing the feeling of spring to each bite.
Wagashi, Japanese sweets usually served with tea, often feature sakura in the spring. Sakuramochi is a pink rice cake filled with red bean paste and wrapped in a pickled sakura leaf, offering a salty contrast to the sweet filling. Dango, skewered rice dumplings, also get a sakura glaze.
These treats are visually appealing with delicate pink shades and sakura leaves or blossoms, signalling their special flavour.
Modern Takes On A Traditional Flavour
Japanese chefs and food innovators blend tradition with modernity, creating new sakura-flavoured treats.
Sakura ice cream and lattes provide a creamy, modern alternative to traditional tea. Sakura-infused cocktails mix the floral notes with various spirits, offering a trendy drink option. Pastries like sakura-flavoured macarons and chiffon cakes combine French techniques with Japanese flavours.
These innovative creations expand how sakura can be enjoyed, appealing to a new generation while honouring the classic taste.
Seasonal Sakura Treats
Limited-Edition Sakura Snacks And Drinks
During sakura season in Japan, you'll find many seasonal treats. From convenience stores to fancy patisseries, sakura snacks and drinks make their appearance.
Look out for sakura matcha Pocky, combining the bitterness of matcha with sakura's floral notes, or sakura chocolate wafers, offering a sweet and salty taste.
Popular brands like Starbucks, Häagen-Dazs, and KitKat also offer their own sakura-flavoured products. These treats are not only tasty but also connect you to Japanese culture.
Best Places For Sakura Delicacies
To fully enjoy sakura treats, visit certain hotspots in Japan.
Kyoto is famous for its historic temples and sakura trees, and its wagashi shops make beautiful sakura sweets.
Tokyo has a range of sakura experiences, from street food vendors to high-end restaurants with unique cherry blossom dishes.
Osaka's vibrant food scene includes sakura-themed takoyaki and okonomiyaki.
Don't forget other regions like Hokkaido and Okinawa, where local versions of sakura treats reflect their unique climates and cultures, adding to the sakura experience.
Understanding Sakura-Flavoured Products
Identifying Authentic Sakura Products
To find real sakura-flavoured products, read the labels carefully. Look for terms like "さくら" (sakura) or "桜の花" (cherry blossom flowers).
Ingredients should list "さくらの葉" (sakura leaves) or "さくらの花" (sakura flowers), often pickled or salted.
Be cautious of products that just use "sakura" in the name or packaging, as they might use artificial flavours.
If buying online, choose reputable Japanese gourmet sites and check if they offer international shipping.
What To Expect When Trying Sakura Flavour
When trying sakura flavour for the first time, keep an open mind.
The taste is often more subtle than expected, with a gentle sweetness, slight tanginess, floral notes, and a hint of salt. It can vary between products and may be an acquired taste, especially if you're not used to floral flavours in food.
Many find it a pleasant surprise, enjoying the subtle taste that reflects Japan's cherry blossoms and the joy of spring.
FAQs About Sakura Flavour
What Does Sakura Flavour Remind People Of?
Sakura flavour often reminds people of cherry blossoms and springtime in Japan. The taste can evoke memories of picnics under sakura trees, hanami parties, and the peaceful beauty of falling petals. Its gentle sweetness and floral notes might also remind you of other subtly fragrant flowers and traditional Japanese sweets enjoyed during spring.
Is There A Difference Between Cherry Fruit Flavour And Sakura?
Yes, there's a clear difference between cherry fruit flavour and sakura.
Cherry fruit has a robust, tangy, and sometimes sweet taste, common in many candies and desserts.
Sakura flavour, however, is more delicate and slightly sweet with floral notes, often with a hint of earthiness from pickling in salt and vinegar.
This subtlety and complexity make sakura flavour unique compared to the bolder cherry fruit flavour.
Can You Find Sakura Flavour Outside Of Japan?
Yes, sakura flavour is available outside Japan.
Specialty Asian markets and online retailers selling Japanese goods are good places to find it. Some international cafes and dessert shops offer sakura-flavoured items during spring, taking advantage of the global interest in cherry blossoms.
However, availability and authenticity may vary, so it's worth doing some research or asking for recommendations to find genuine sakura-infused products and experiences.
In Sydney, I’ve experienced the Sakura flavour in a number of drinks including:
