Day: February 10, 2026

A bento featuring cherry blossoms.

Cherry Blossoms in Japanese Food: The Ultimate Guide!

Cherry blossoms brighten Japan’s spring landscape with their delicate pink hues, and they also find their way into kitchens across the country, where cooks transform these fleeting petals into flavorful ingredients for both sweet and savory dishes. 

A painting depicting one of the first hanami. Title: "Viewing Cherry Blossoms in Ueno" by Hishikawa Moronobu.

Cherry Blossom Petals and the First Hanami “Pictures”

Cherry blossom petals and hanami feel timeless, but this spring tradition has a clear story. The first hanami “pictures” were not phone photos. They were written records, poems, and paintings made over 1,200 years ago at the imperial courts in Japan.