From March on, tourists start migrating like birds to Japan in order to enjoy the blooming of Sakura, also known as the blooming of cherry blossoms. With pink flowers on trees on every street corner, there is truly no better place to be for Spring than at flower festivals. Especially if you can’t stand the heat and humidity of the Japanese summer which turns you into the melted Wicked Witch of the West.
GIF courtesy by GIPHY.com
In order to take full advantage of tourism, the Japanese have begun creating seasonal editions common snacks in order to celebrate the blossoming. As the Cherry-Blossom Festival period comes to an end, let’s look back at some (out of many) snacks you have to try next time you are in Japan:
Sakura Haagen Dazs Ice Cream
Photo courtesy of flickr.com
Let’s begin with something relatively basic. This ice-cream can easily be compared to Eastern Europe’s rose flavoured ice cream.
Sakura Starbucks Frappe
Photo courtesy of flickr.com
Starbucks is known to take any holiday and turning into a beverage, whether it be the famous Pumpkin Spice Latte (#PSL) or the Gingerbread Latte. In Japan we have the Sakura and Strawberry Frappe! The flavor has actually become quite a hit amongst other countries and has been imported to numerous franchises around the world.
Sakura Kit Kat
Photo courtesy of flickr.com
My sister and I used to stuff our suitcases with hundreds of different Kit Kat flavors at duty free in the airports, but this one is the one that stuck to our minds (and our bellies). You can also get the Matcha Sakura Kit Kat which reminds me of white chocolate with a refreshing flowery aftertaste.
Sakura McDonalds Hamburger and Fries
Photo courtesy of flickr.com
Yeah, now we’re just getting weird. Things have gotten a bit out of hand with McDonalds’s many crazy creations, and to be honest I’m not sure how it is actually cherry-blossomed taste. And don’t even get me started on the fries (shudder).
Sakura Jelly Belly
Photo courtesy of flickr.com
This one has to be a must for any candy lover out there. Let’s not fool ourselves, I’d much rather get a Sakura Jelly Belly in my mouth rather than those odd ones, but hey! Everyone has their personal favorite.
Sakura Krispy Kreme Donut
Photo courtesy of flickr.com
This donut is so pretty you’ll wish you didn’t have to eat it. But the creamy dough inside will want to make you bloom from the inside as well. If you can’t afford a trip to Japan you can always try making them yourself!
Photo courtesy by flickr.com
The list can be extended to Red Bull, Pepsi, Wine, Yogurt, McFloats, and more, but enough for now! I don’t know what they were actually thinking by turning an energy drink sakura-flavoured, but I guess somewhere someone must have known what they were doing. Eat on, Spoonies.