The Cherry Blossom belongs to the genus Prunus, which is called the Prunus Serrulata or more commonly “Sakura” or “桜” in Japan. These small beautiful flowers are a sight to behold, especially during springtime. Are you ready to delve into an exciting read about Cherry Blossoms? To give you the full experience, we have gathered some good and interesting details about the Cherry Blossom Festival:
How it came to be?
When was the Cherry Blossom tea (Sakura tea) invented?
A few Cherry Blossom recipes
Décor tips (using pink tablecloths, flower vases and simple tableware)
Let’s begin:
Contents
How the Cherry Blossom Festival Came to Be
The roots for the Cherry Blossom Festival were first laid down in 1912 when various countries coordinated for the first time. 3,000 Prunus trees were gifted to the US and arrived in Washington. The exchange took place between Dr. Jokichi Takamine, the founder of Sankyo Co. Ltd, National Geographic Society’s 1st female board member Eliza Scidmore, First Lady Helen Herron Taft, and Dr. David Fairchild from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The trees were planted in a ceremony by the Japanese ambassador’s wife Viscountess Chinda and First Lady Helen Herron Taft. After that, it sort of became a tradition for the First Lady of the US to take part in this ceremony. In 1915, the US reciprocated with the same gesture by gifting dogwood trees to Japan.
It was in 1927 when the Cherry Blossom Festival started being celebrated. Schools would reenact that iconic moment when the first Cherry Blossom tree was planted. In 1935, another festival was held, which was much bigger due to the involvement of civic groups.
In 1981, some of the Cherry Blossom trees were destroyed by a flood. The US helped Japan during this time by giving cuttings from their original trees to Japanese horticulturists.
And that is how the give and take of Cherry Blossom trees came in full circle and benefited both the nations. The festival was usually celebrated for a day or two and later expanded to 2 weeks in 1994. In 2012, the festival’s 100th anniversary brought great news for the public: the festival had now been expanded to a total of 5 weeks.
Today, the Cherry Blossom Festival is celebrated nationally from 20th March to 14th April. More than 50 programs and events take place that unites businesses and cultural organizations. In fact, during this time of the year, DC is considered the best destination for springtime vacations.
Sakura History
Hanami became popular during the Heian Period (794–1185) when the Imperial Palace’s emperors began hosting feasts that took place under the Cherry Blossom trees.
This is the reason why the ultimate significance of Cherry Blossoms is seen in Hanami. This practice of pickling flowers began in the Nara period (710–794). During this time, the flowers were just admired by the people of Japan but by the Heian period, they gained immense attention. This is when the flowers were named Sakura. In Haiku and Waka (Japanese poetry), they were mentioned as an elite flower used only by the Imperial Court. As time passed, they spread all over the country and were being used by the common people. The 8th shōgun Tokugawa Yoshimune was the first to plant the Cherry Blossom trees.
Cherry Blossoms represent the beauty of life and fragility, which Japanese use as a reminder, “While life is overwhelmingly beautiful, it is also oh-so tragically short”.
The beauty of Sakura is known to the world. The delicate and radiant petals with varying shades of pink make you stare at the flower for hours. There’s nothing more romantic and beautiful that walking in a park under the shadow of Cherry Blossoms. The Japanese believe that the petals of Cherry Blossom symbolize nobleness, human life, and transience. There’s no way that you trace to Japan and not have a cup of Sakura tea. In fact, a few places host Hanami parties and the most beautiful thing in these events is the tea service.
Recipes
Pickled Cherry Blossom
Throughout the blog, we have mentioned the age-old tradition of pickling Sakura. The Cherry Blossom Tea is very dear to the Japanese Culture. It’s a simple but lengthy process of curing the flowers and then pressing them in order to prepare them for the tea. The following process will teach you how to preserve Sakura.
We will start with the most common and loved Sakura tea and then proceed to other recipes that use Cherry Blossom.
Ingredients
- Fresh Cherry Blossoms: 2 cups
- Celtic sea salt: 2 tsp
- Unami plum vinegar: ¼ cup
Directions
- Rinse the Cherry Blossoms in water and dry them using paper towels (press gently to avoid breaking the petals)
- Sprinkle salt on the flowers and gently massage it in
- Place a heavy glass object on top of the flowers and put them in the fridge for 3 days
- Drain the flower juice and keep it aside (you can use this juice in other dishes)
- Add ¼ cup of Unami plum vinegar and set it aside for at least 3 weeks
- Drain the vinegar and place the flowers on a plate
- Allow them dry under a shade on your windowsill
- Once the moisture has evaporated, sprinkle salt on top and place them in a jar
You can use these flowers to cook freshwater fish, Sakura sweet rice, and tea, and several other Japanese traditional recipes.
Cherry Blossom Tea (Made With Pickled Sakura)
The Cherry Blossom tea is pretty easy to make. You can adjust the concentrations by adding more Cherry Blossoms.
Ingredients
- Hot water: 2 cups
- Pickled Cherry Blossoms: 2
Directions
- Take two pickled Cherry Blossoms and use a paper towel to remove the excess salt
- Place the flowers in a cup and fill 1/3 of it with hot water
- Allow the flowers to steep for 1 minute
- Take out the flowers and place them in another cup
- Fill ¾ of the cup with hot water
- Let the water sit for 2 minutes, and your Sakura teais ready
Note: You can adjust the strength of the tea by adding a tablespoon or two of the concentrate from the first cup.
Cherry Blossom Cocktail
The color pink doesn’t exactly attract men, but when it’s the Cherry Blossom Cocktail, we beg to differ. This light-colored, beautiful drink recipe is a creation brought to you by Jamie Boudreau, a Seattle mixologist who works at Vessel. His inspiration for this drink came from Canada when he was a child and ate a chocolate bonbon, which was filled with maraschino cherries that were soaked in syrup. This cocktail recipe combines a subtle taste of chocolate, the vibrant aroma of cherry, and a fruity flavor that make it worth it.
Ingredients
- Griottine cherries: 2
- Cherry eau-de-vie (kirsch): ¾ oz
- Crème de cacao: ¼ oz
- Dash of Angostura bitters
- Rye: 1 ¼ oz
- Sakura Liqueur: ½ oz
- Ice
Directions
- Take a glass slightly larger than the pink glass (you can also get one as shown in the picture above)
- Fill the glass with ice and set it aside
- In another glass, add all the ingredients and stir well
- Place a strainer of the glass filled with ice and pour the mixed liquid
- Take a straw and stir the ice
- Slide two cherries onto a skewer and place it in the glass
Your Cherry Blossom Cocktail is ready. You can garnish the glass with fresh cherry blossoms while serving. Having your friends over and serving them this drink is the best way to celebrate the Cherry Blossom Festival.
Sakura Panna Cotta
The silky texture of this dessert plays a tribute to Italy and Japan. The Italian style dessert uses pickled Cherry Blossoms. The simple yet elegant look of this dessert will impress your guests.
Ingredients
- Heavy cream: 300 ml
- Milk: 100 ml
- Sugar: 80 gm
- Gelatin: 3 sheets
- Sakura essence: 2 tsp
- Pink food coloring
- Pickled Sakura: 4
Directions
- Place the gelatin sheets in water and set the bowl aside for 10 minutes
- In a pot, add sugar, milk and cream. Cook the mixture on low heat until the sugar has melted
- Add the Sakura essence and pink color
- Squeeze water out from the gelatin bowl and place the sheets in the cream mixture
- Stir to dissolve and then pour the mixture into separate glasses
- Place the glasses in the fridge and chill for 4 hours
- Remove excess salt from the Sakura flowers and place them in cold water for 30 minutes
- Dab them gently with a paper towel and garnish the pannacotta glasses
Your Sakura Panna cottas are ready!
Décor Ideas
The light pink color and the delicate petals of Cherry Blossoms make them perfect for decorating your house. We are not just talking about using the actual flowers and displaying them in a vase but going with a theme that will not just impress your guests but wow them speechless.
Following are a few Cherry Blossom décor ideas that you can use to give your house a year-round a springtime look:
The Cherry Blossom Themed Hi-Tea
Let’s talk about a Cherry Blossom theme. If you are planning to have a hi-tea at your house, then this is perfect for girls’ time. The first thing is the menu: you can use some of the recipes we have mentioned above. Here’s what we think you should include in the table spread: macaroons, jelly, tea, specialty cocktails (put your own spin on the recipes), sweet Sakura rice cakes, brownies, cookies and a few savory items. Spread a pink tablecloth and then start placing the crockery and cutlery. A huge white vase in the center, filled with Cherry Blossoms will look perfect. You can also place a few transparent vases filled with water and Cherry Blossoms at a distance.
And there you have it — your Cherry Blossom themed hi-tea.
The Lively Bathroom
It’s funny but the bathroom is the one place where you get to relax for a few minutes. Most people like to go for a luxurious feel but are not able to afford it. This is why we present to you the pink Cherry Blossom theme, which involves a simple décor. You can either go with a Cherry Blossom mural or a painting near the bathtub. The flower vases are a must and the good thing about Cherry Blossom is that since it has pretty large branches, you can either go for a small vase on the shelf or a floor vase. Combine pink toiletries with a white vanity set, and the look is complete.
The Pink Lounge
Moving to the living room, you have plenty of space that you can decorate. The key to making sure that it doesn’t look like a 5-year-old went to town with a pink crayon is to choose complementary colors. Pink always goes well with white, yellow and other shades of pink, both light and dark. You can either go with an extremely light pink sofa set or plain old white. Coming to the throw pillows, you have many choices. You can go with different shades of pink or mix match using different sizes and colors of throw pillows. Lastly, you can choose a Cherry Blossom backsplash or an abstract painting.
And that’s the last on how to celebrate this year’s Cherry Blossom Festival. If you enjoyed what we had to say, visit the Bright Ideas blog for even more recipes and decorating ideas.
