SAKURA

Japanese cherry blossoms and some delicious recipes

June is here. The cherry blossoms have long since faded. Nevertheless, I wanted to share this article and some wonderful dishes I made this spring. You might want to give some of them a try when the queen of spring is in full bloom once again.

The blossoms of the Prunus serrulata cherry tree, known as sakura in Japanese, have been regarded as a symbol of spring since time immortal. They are an ancient part of Japanese culture, a fundamental motif in the Japanese worship of nature, and a timeless metaphor for human existence. It would not be an exaggeration to say they are a national obsession. This iconic flowering tree is a member of the Rosaceae or rose family. The tree is native to East and South China, Japan, and Korea. Their blooming season is incredibly glorious but extremely short-lived, as they are in full bloom for only about a week or two. A reminder of our mortality and fleeting lives. On the other hand, a reminder of mindfulness and of truly living in the present. Sakura blossoms embody wabi-sabi philosophy and are now one of Japan’s most iconic natural symbols. In Japan, watching magnificent cherry blossoms during their short-lived explosion is an ancient tradition called hanami: people gather under the sakura trees and enjoy picnics with family and friends while appreciating the beauty of fleeting blooms. There are not many rules associated with hanami, one thing you should never do is pick sakura petals or branches. According to Japanese traditions, falling Sakura petals represent the reincarnated souls of samurai who fell in battle.

Without regret

they fall and scatter…

cherry blossoms

- Kobayashi Issa

Japanese cherry trees can easily rot from cuts in their bark or roots. Once it starts to rot, the disease can spread easily and the whole tree dies. This is why many of the trees only live up to 20 years and the tree’s caretakers make great efforts to prevent them from rotting. It is important to be mindful of this and not cut branches or barks of the trees and make sure not to damage the roots in any way.

Best known are the pale light pink to white cherry blossom trees, but there are more than 600 species of sakura trees in existence, including varieties with dark pink, yellow, and green blossoms. Not all of the many cherry tree varieties have blossoms considered edible (the small white flower cherry tree variety, Prunus laurocerasus, is not considered edible, for example). They can be divided into four groups based on the number of their petals: single flowers feature 5-8 petals, semi-double flowers boast 10-20 petals, double flowers exhibit 25-50 petals and Chrysanthemum cherry flowers are packed with up to 100 (to 300!) petals, giving them the look of a large puffball. 

There is another variety widely known as the „weeping cherry tree“. They are famous for their relatively long lifespan (around 300 years). The oldest tree, Jindai Zakura, is about 2000 years old wild species found at Jissou temple in Yamanashi prefecture.

Sakura is not only beautiful to look at but also versatile in food with a very subtle, sweet, floral vanilla-almond-like aroma. It is a seasonal ingredient used in a variety of Japanese foods and desserts. A light tea from pickled Sakura petals is often served at Japanese weddings to symbolize a beautiful new beginning. The leaves of Sakura are also preserved and have a wonderfully intense aroma. Both blossoms and leaves get their vanilla-like aroma from coumarin, a substance that is toxic in large doses, so they shouldn’t be eaten in large quantities and should ideally be preserved/fermented, processed, brined, or cooked before consumption. Raw cherry blossoms have a bitter almond flavor. Just like apple pips and apricot kernels, cherry blossoms, leaves, twigs, and bark contain cyanide, a toxic substance, which is released when crushed. Cherry blossoms including stems and leaves are poisonous to dogs and cats.

As always, it is the best practice to plant your own tree in your garden for culinary use. In any way, you won’t require much, a handful of prolifically flowering blossoms and leaves will suffice, as both should be used sparingly. Do not use flowers from parks that may have been sprayed with chemicals or from next to a busy road.

SALT PRESERVED SAKURA

Salt-preserved sakura is typically made with double-flowering cherry blossoms, as the larger, thicker blossoms are more substantial and fuller when dried. Preferably pick a mix of blossom buds and young, recently opened blossoms.

Ingredients: 1 cup cherry blossoms, coarse natural salt (as needed to cover), plus a spoonful for the dried petals, approximately 70 ml ume plum vinegar

Some call for washing the blossoms first, but I skipped that step, as I found it only damages the blossoms unnecessarily. Separate the cherry blossoms, but leave them on their individual twigs, as you will need them later in order to separate the pickled blossoms. Put them into a glass bowl and sprinkle generously with coarse salt. Mix gently so all the blossoms are covered with salt and weigh down lightly (for example using a Kilner jar or a plastic bag filled with water or brine). Leave in the fridge for 3 days, then rinse off the salt under running water using a sieve. Gently press the blossoms to get out the excess water and put the washed blossoms back into a clean glass jar. Pour over the ume vinegar, just enough to cover all the blossoms. Leave the ume-covered blossoms in the fridge for another 3 days. After 3 days, strain the vinegar (keep it for other uses, as it’s delicious), and gently squeeze out the ume-brine liquid without destroying the blossoms. Gently separate the blossoms one by one by pulling on their twigs and dry the blossoms at room temperature, in the oven, or in a dehydrator. I dried them in the oven, as the weather was cold and wet, spreading them out on a tray lined with parchment paper and drying them in the oven at the lowest setting, while keeping the doors slightly open, so the moisture can evaporate (with help of a large wooden spoon, for example). Check every now and then, turning the blossoms around, and making sure not the burn them. They should be dry in about 15-20 minutes. When the blossoms are completely dry, lightly sprinkle them with coarse salt and store them in an airtight container – they should last for a very long time if preserved correctly.

PRESERVED CHERRY TREE LEAVES

Like the cherry blossoms, cherry leaves can also be preserved. They have a distinctly beautiful and even a bit stronger fragrance than blossoms. They are often used in Japanese sweets and desserts. Pick the soft young leaves, as the older ones will be too tough to chew.

Ingredients: young cherry blossom leaves, salt, spring water

Wash the leaves and boil them very quickly in boiling water. Transfer them immediately to an ice bath so they’ll retain their color. Dry the leaves in a salad spinner, separate them, and put them on a clean kitchen towel tapping them completely dry. Put the leaves in a glass container, sprinkling generously with coarse salt between the layers, finishing with more salt on top. Pour over a 20% salt solution (in spring or distilled water), just enough to cover all the leaves, and weigh them down (for example using a Kilner jar or a plastic bag filled with water or brine). Place in the fridge. After about 3 days remove the weight and keep in the fridge until needed. Wash them under running water and pat them dry before use.

SAKURA JAM

Ingredients: 1 cup cherry blossoms, 200 ml water (just enough to cover all the blossoms), 4 strawberries, 50 ml rosehip syrup, 100 g jam sugar, 1 lemon (juice and zest)

Mix all the ingredients in a heavy-based saucepan, stir to combine, then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and stir every now and then, making sure not to burn it, until it thickens. Put into sterilized jars and keep in the refrigerator.

SAKURA MOCHI

Ingredients: 100 g glutinous rice, 100 ml water, 3 strawberries (for coloring), sakura jam, salt-preserved sakura (blossoms and leaves)

Soak pickled sakura and leaves for 30 minutes in water to remove the salt. Drain and set on a paper towel and tap until completely dry. Use the water sakura was soaking in (add the required amount to get 100 ml), 3 strawberries (for coloring), and cook the rice. Let the rice cool and put it in the refrigerator to cool completely. For extra sticky texture, pound the rice until it’s partly broken and very sticky. Divide the rice into equal parts and spread them out into a round thin layer on parchment paper. Add a teaspoon of sakura jam in the middle and form them into oval shapes. Cover the mochi balls with a pickled leaf and garnish with sakura blossom on top.

SAKURA JELLY

Ingredients: a handful of salt-preserved sakura (see the first recipe) plus enough water to cover, 300 ml water, 3 gelatine leaves (or agar agar), 2 tablespoons honey, sliced almonds, ume plum vinegar (best to use the one from preserving sakura)

Put salted sakura in a bowl, cover with water, and leave for about 1 hour. Strain and dry the flowers on a paper towel and keep the water. Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water until soft. Remove from the water and squeeze out the excess water. Place 300 ml water in a bowl and bring to the boil. Once boiling, remove from the heat, add honey, and stir until dissolved. Add a few tablespoons of the water, which was used to soak salted sakura, and add the gelatine leaves. Stir well to dissolve the gelatine. Pour the mixture into molds (or use a balloon, if you haven’t got any). Add sakura to each of the molds and use a toothpick to adjust the flowers. Chill and put in the refrigerator to set for at least a few hours or overnight. Serve with half a teaspoon of ume vinegar and sliced almonds.

You can put the sakura jelly on top of a panna cotta for extra deliciousness.

SAKURA ICE CREAM

Ingredients: 100 g cashew butter, 1 tablespoon coconut oil, 150 ml full-fat cream or full-fat coconut milk, 50 g strawberries, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or 1 vanilla bean), juice of ½ lemon, zest of ½ lemon, fresh Sakura blossoms (to infuse the cream), 2 tablespoons of Sakura jam or Sakura syrup

Clean and cut the strawberries, add vanilla extract, zest, and juice of lemon, and let to macerate for at least 1 hour at room temperature. Put the full-fat cream or coconut milk in a bowl, add a handful of fresh sakura blossoms, and heat up (but do not boil). Leave to infuse for at least 3 hours or overnight. Use a sieve to strain out the blossoms. Mix the infused coconut cream with cashew butter, coconut oil, macerated strawberries, and Sakura jam. Mix well, pour into molds, and freeze or use an ice-maker machine.

SAKURA TRUFFLES

Ingredients: 200 ml heavy cream, 200 g best quality dark or semi-dark chocolate, 1 cup of fresh sakura blossoms,  a pinch of salt, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder for dusting

Bring the cream to boil, remove from heat and stir in the blossoms. Let cool and infuse for at least 3 hours or overnight. Use a sieve to strain out the blossoms. Reheat the infused cream and pour over finely chopped chocolate. Add a pinch of salt and stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Let the mixture cool in the refrigerator overnight. Using a spoon scoop out about a tablespoon of the chocolate mixture and roll it into balls using your hands. Cool the balls again in the refrigerator and roll them again to make nice round shapes. Roll the balls in cocoa powder and garnish with a few fresh sakura petals and serve. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks or freeze for longer.

Sakura can also be made into a delicious syrup, like most of delicate spring blossoms. Salt-preserved sakura is often used for garnishing cakes, desserts, and cookies.

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SOURCES AND FURTHER READING:

https://www.diversivore.com/preserved-cherry-blossoms/

https://www.eatweeds.co.uk/preserved-cherry-blossom-recipe?ssp_iabi=1682914593337

https://en.japantravel.com/blog/the-legends-of-sakura/67429

https://www.japan.travel/en/au/experience/cherry-blossoms/sakura-history/#:~:text=Originally%20used%20to%20divine%20the,bloom%20for%20around%20one%20week.

https://japanjunky.com/the-history-of-sakura/#the-sakura-cherry-blossom-and-its-symbolism

https://www.dearjapanese.com/can-you-eat-cherry-blossoms/

https://blog.japanwondertravel.com/types-of-sakura-trees-japan-29878

https://www.japan-talk.com/jt/new/why-you-should-never-pick-a-sakura-petal

https://nippon100.com/en/japan-oldest-cherry-tree-jindai-zakura

https://japan-clothing.com/blogs/japan/cherry-blossom-sakura

http://yoshiko-sullivan.blogspot.com/2017/04/preserved-cherry-blossom-leaves.html

http://yoshiko-sullivan.blogspot.com/2017/04/tokyo-style-sakura-mochi.htmlhttp://www.bentomonsters.com/2014/04/sakura-jelly.html

https://izzycooking.com/sakura-mochi/

https://constellationinspiration.com/2023/04/cherry-blossom-jelly-cheesecake.html