However, before we tell you what we are preparing for you on the occasion of the hanami festival, let's tell the story of cherry blossoms from the beginning.

And if it's still gray outside your window, it's even more worth letting your imagination run wild...

Hanami then and now

In ancient times, hanami celebrations were much more contemplative, reflecting on the transience of life as an essential part of life. They were symbolized by the blossoms of fruit trees, which appear only momentarily.

Today, it's hard to spot meditating sages and pensive samurai beneath the cherry blossoms. Modern hanami is a veritable festival, replete with karaoke contests and boxes filled with delicacies. bentoHanami isn't just celebrated by families or groups of friends. It's also a very popular occasion for corporate events and a great excuse to get out of the office and spend some time outdoors.

Picnic madness

What can we find in bento boxes? It's no surprise that one of the hits of hanami is sushi, which is perfect for a picnic. Onigiri is especially popular then – rice balls filled with child (pickled plums) or fried salmon or tuna with mayonnaise. Many other delicacies appear at picnics, including meat dishes such as kara-age (chicken pieces in tempura), takoyaki (grilled octopus balls), or ebi-fry (tempura shrimp).

Bento isn't everything. Hanami takes place in early spring temperatures, so thermoses with steaming water are equally popular during hanami. miso soup.

For dessert, a special "sakura" type of wagashi (traditional Japanese sweet) is served: a rice cake filled with red bean filling and wrapped in a cherry leaf. Another very typical image is hanami dango: three sweet rice flour balls served on a bamboo stick.

The colorful picnics of hanami are, of course, lavishly watered. Toasts are made with sake, which is cleverly named hanami zake (simply sake drunk under a cherry blossom tree) and beer sold in cherry blossom-colored cans. Various sakura-flavored drinks are also popular, as are, of course, teas.

Sakura's etiquette

We're in Japan, so the setting is just as important as the food itself. Seasoned partygoers reserve the most picturesque spots under the trees.
in advance. They also equip themselves with a special mat, blankets, and a low folding table.

One of the most touching sights during hanami is the shoes of picnic participants, left outside the picnic mat, lined up in a neat row. Just like in Japanese homes and restaurants, the picnic area also requires the tradition of leaving shoes outside the food area.

Picking sakura flowers is also unthinkable, which the Japanese remind tourists celebrating hanami of with special signs placed in parks.

We celebrate hanami with WhitePlate

Have we managed to transport you to Japan for a moment with stories about hanami? Perhaps your imagination could use a little help. So this spring, we want to encourage you to bring the colors and flavors of Japan into your own kitchens.

We know you're sometimes apprehensive about cooking Japanese dishes. That's why we invited Eliza Morawska, author of cookbooks and the blog WhitePlate, to join us in this year's hanami celebrations. Eliza, who was in Japan exactly one year ago for the cherry blossom festival, has developed a series of recipes you can easily recreate at home.

Today you will find it on her blog WhitePlate The first in a series of recipes. What's next? Stay tuned to our Facebook i Instagram, and you'll be up to date with the next installments of this Japanese feast. Let's get started!