Reviewed by
Mary
April is the month where the cherry blossoms bloom, and all over Japan everything is about sakura season! This month Sakuraco is celebrating this picturesque time of year.
As well as the blossom, this is a traditional time of year for families and friends to spend time together, which includes eating delicious food!
The menu booklet tells you all about the unique aspects of sakura season, the celebrations and traditions, and of course the food. As well as cultural information and some beautiful pictures, there is also a menu describing all the delicious items in the box, which includes a full allergen list.
Butter Strawberry Senbei (crisp rice crackers) are coated in fermented New Zealand butter – sounds strange but it’s a wonderful flavour – and powdered strawberries from Fukuoka. This gives a fantastic sweet-sharp flavour, which pairs beautifully with the crisp cracker. This month’s tea is another fruity flavour, Blueberry Hibiscus Tea. Hibiscus tea is very popular, and the addition of blueberry to this green tea blend has a wonderful depth, perfect for drinking alone or with pastries. It’s been specially created in partnership with the tea producer Maruyama Seicha. The Strawberry Manju is a great partner for the tea. It’s a baked milk bun filled with strawberry jam, white chocolate, and condensed milk. It’s a very rich flavour, but the strawberry stops the sweetness from being overwhelming, and the outer bun has a wonderful texture.
A traditional Japanese confection is yokan, made from white bean paste, sugar, and agar, and this Cherry Blossom Yokan is the perfect seasonal version. It contains cherry blossom which gives it a wonderfully fragrant flavour. Sakura Houten Tetra is another traditional sweet, which is small pieces of karinto – crunchy fried dough – wrapped in a sweet candy coating. This version has three flavours, sugar strawberry, and matcha.
Candied nuts are always a favourite snack, and these Sakura CashewNuts have a sweet and delicious sakura – flavoured coating that works beautifully with the creamy cashew. Cheese Arare are a lovely savoury note in this selection.. The crunchy rice cracker has a rich cheesy coating. Another great partner for this month’s tea is the Sakura Castella. This cake slice has both sweet and slightly sour flavours from pickled cherry blossom that has been mixed into the batter. The cake’s texture is both light and rich, and is the perfect afternoon snack.
The Sakura Cream Cookie is almost too pretty to eat! They are two thin crisp senbei that are sandwiched with sakura cream, and the final touch is the beautiful sakura decoration. Strawberries and white chocolate is one of the most perfect flavour combinations, and these White Chocolate Strawberries are all about indulgence. The strawberries themselves have been freeze-dried to intensify the flavour and bring out the sour notes, which pair beautifully with the sweet which chocolate coating. A serious treat!
Another savoury snack are Shoe Corn Puffs. These light and crunchy corn snacks are coated in a delicious rich roasted soy flavour which gives a wonderful umami dimension. Mochi are one of Japan’s most famous sweets, and these Sakura Mochi bring all the flavour of the sakura season. They have been infused with sakura leaves, and the soft chewy marshmallow texture is a delight.
Finally, this month’s piece of Japanese homeware is a lovely Sakura Glass. The design has been created in collaboration with Ishizuka Glass, and is lovely and delicate.
By Evelyn 
