9 cherry blossom flavored dishes to try this spring

Spring in Japan means sakura (cherry blossom) season. It's one of the most anticipated seasons of the year, with sakura viewing parties and decorations gracing many establishments throughout the country. It's also a time when you can expect limited-edition sakura flavored goods and products with sakura designs to pop up everywhere you go. Here's a list of 9 sakura flavored treats for you to try this spring.

1. Bitte, Sakura Flavor (Glico)

A dense, sakura-infused chocolate coating and sakura-flavored cream sandwiched in between 2 cookies, this dessert makes for the perfect accompaniment to a cup of coffee.

The biscuits are made with cultured butter which brings out a rich flavor that blends together nicely with the sweet chocolate and cream.

2. Sakura Milk Tea (Lipton)

A rich milk tea made with 100% Ceylon tea leaves. With a sakura fragrance, this milk tea has a delicate flavor that goes down smoothly. The packaging has vivid colors with a cute design that will make you feel like spring has come.

3. Dorayaki (Sakura & Sweet Red Bean) (7-Eleven)

Dorayaki is a type of Japanese pancake that typically has a sweet red bean spread. This special edition includes a filling of sweet red bean paste and whipped cream with sakura petals.

The combination of the fluffy, springy pancake with the decadently sweet spread makes for a truly luxurious treat.

4. Pocky Zeitaku Chocolatier, Sakura Flavor (Glico)

The black packaging and the gold colored font give off a somewhat elegant, mature look. Each box contains 4 packs of 6 Pocky sticks each.

The buttery pretzel sticks are covered in sakura-flavored chocolate, with bits of rock salt and sugar sprinkled on to give it a more complex flavor.

5. Branchul Mini Chocolate, Sakura Flavor (Bourbon)

The Branchul Mini Chocolate series consists of bite-size, square sandwich cookies with a layer of chocolate sandwiched between 2 cookies. For the sakura flavor, the chocolate bar is pink with the gentle flavor of sakura.

The delicate sakura chocolate flavor goes very well with the cookies. Eat it in one bite to fully enjoy the taste of spring.

6. Country Ma'am, Vanilla and Sakura Milk Flavor (Fujiya)

With this package, you can enjoy 2 different flavors: vanilla and sakura milk! Each bag comes with 11 vanilla cookies and 7 sakura milk cookies.

The sakura and milk flavors blend together seamlessly for a deliciously sweet treat. Country Ma'am cookies can be enjoyed in a variety of ways: baked, warmed up in a microwave, or frozen.

7. Starbucks Sakura Chocolate with Strawberry Jelly

You'll be able to enjoy creamy sakura and white chocolate flavored milk and strawberry jelly with this drink. The jelly has a great texture and flavor as it's made with strawberry juice. Even though these Starbucks drinks are pre-packaged, don't think that they are any less delicious than the made-to-order drinks you can get from brick and mortar Starbucks locations.

8. Chocolixir White Chocolate Sakura Lala (Godiva)

Godiva is famous worldwide for its exquisite, high-quality chocolate. Though most people associate their name with chocolate, they also have a range of other sweet products, like this spring special.

This sweet, frozen beverage has a vibrant red and pink color scheme. It has layers of whipped cream and sakura jelly and is topped with sakura sauce and eye-catching chocolate chips that resemble sakura petals. The distinct flavors of the sakura and cherry mixed in with the gentle flavor of the white chocolate make for a really great, refreshing drink.

9. PABLO mini Sakura Mochi (PABLO)

PABLO is very well known in Japan for its delicious cheese tarts and cheesecakes. It should be no surprise that their contribution to the sakura season follows the same cheesy theme - a sakura-flavored cheese tart! After the cheese filling is poured into the crunchy tart and baked, gyuhi (a soft, sweet rice cake) is placed on top of the cheese tart. To top it off, a pinkish sweet paste made with sakura leaves from Shizuoka is squeezed over it.

Read more: Fall in love with Cherry Blossom products in Japan

Source tsunagu Japan

5 best places to admire cherry blossoms in South Korea

When spring comes, the whole Korea is even more breathtaking as the sight of cherry blossoms blooming in every corner of the country. To have the best cherry blossom experience in Korea, don't forget to visit these 5 destinations below.

Jinhae Gunhangje Festival (Jinhae)

Perhaps the most popular place to see the cherry blossoms in all their glory is in the small military port of Jinhae near Korea’s south coast. Once a year, usually in early April, the city hosts thousands of tourists at its Jinhae Gunhangje Festival, the largest and most famous of the country’s cherry blossom festivals. In addition to the spectacular displays of cherry blossom trees, the festival also gives visitors the opportunity to tour a replica of one of Admiral Lee Sun-Shin’s famous turtle ships, a Korean warship that was used by the Royal Korean Navy from as early as the 15th century.

Hwagae Cherry Blossom Festival (Hwagae)

Situated in the foothills of Jiri Mountain, Hwagae is about as rural and isolated as Korea gets. When April arrives, the region becomes blanketed in a snow of white and soft pink. The highlight of the festival is the “10ri Cherry Blossom Road,” a romantic, four kilometer long stretch of cherry blossom trees. It is also known by locals as “Marriage Road,” as it is said that lovers who walk hand-in-hand under the trees will get married and live happily ever after.

Gyeongju

Although Korea’s “museum without walls” doesn’t have a dedicated festival to celebrate the cherry blossom, the city of Gyeongju is still a great place to see the beloved flower. The city’s unique landscape, made up of giant tumuli, or ancient, grass-covered royal tombs, provides a colorful contrast to the blooms, while the trees make the beautifully preserved historical artifacts that dot the city even more picturesque than usual. To experience the best of Gyeongju in spring, rent a bike from one of the many rental shops near the central bus terminal.

Yeouido Spring Flower Festival (Seoul)

Seoul, too, has its fair share of cherry blossom viewing sites, and Yeouido, an island situated on the Han River, is the most accessible (and most visited) of the bunch. The focus of the Yeouido Spring Flower Festival is, of course, the cherry blossom trees, of which there are more than 1,400 in full bloom. There are also a variety of street performances, food vendors and countless exhibits, making the festival a great place to enjoy the great outdoors and defrost after a long, cold winter.

Seokchon Lake Cherry Blossom Festival (Seoul)

Another well known cherry blossom viewing site is Seokchon Lake in eastern Seoul. It is especially popular with photographers who are eager to capture shots of the cherry blossoms and their reflection in the lake. The roller coasters and Cinderella-esque castle of the nearby Lotte World theme park add to the backdrop.

See more: Top tourist attractions in Seoul, South Korea

Source: theculturetrip