It’s a middle of March and Sakura (cherry blossoms) season is just around the corner in Japan. According to the prediction of weather forecasts, Sakura will begin to bloom on the next week and be in full-bloom at the end of this month in Tokyo. The scene of Sakura in full-bloom makes us very excited and I seldom met any Japanese who don’t like the flowers so far.

My favorite Japanese sweets in spring

By the way, I went to a Japanese traditional sweets cafe near my office to enjoy some sweets for my lunch (!?) the other day, because I really wanted to have!! I ordered “Ohagi” and “Sakura-mochi” this time, because Sakura-mochi is a seasonal food and you can eat it at this time in Spring.

Typical “Ohagi” is a kind of sticky rice cake covered by mashed red sweet beans. The one I ordered is a modified version, which covered by sweet sesame and mashed sweet red beans inside of the rice cake. Sakura-mochi is also a rice cake with slight Sakura flavor on the salty Sakura leaf & flower (they are eatable) and mashed sweet red beans inside. Needless to say, Japanese green tea with bitter taste is the best combination for eating them.

The sweets deeply related to seasonal customs

I know “sweet rice” seems a bit weird and it is quite unfamiliar with you from other countries, but these are completely our soul foods and one of my favorite Japanese dishes. We tend to eat them around Vernal Equinox Day and Autumnal Equinox Day. In the past, mothers made them by themselves at home, and some of them have still keep this custom (It remains me that my grand mother always made them by herself), but we can also buy them at Japanese special sweets shops and even supermarkets throughout the year at the present time.

As for me, I always buy or visit Japanese cafes to eat them because they are much more delicious and tasteful and I never try to make them…(Originally, I am not good at cooking although I do some housekeeping…) Anyway, I was really satisfied with them to eat in this season. When Sakura is in full-bloom, I am going to bring them with me for Hanami (Sakura viewing ) outdoor picnic on the sunny and warmer day!! Of course, I will buy them at some shop again.

• Kanmi Okame: http://www.kanmi-okame.jp (in Japanese)
  https://tabelog.com/en/tokyo/A1301/A130102/13011479/ (in English)