Cherry Blossom Alert! The Best Sakura Foods and Drinks in Japan!

Sakura season is upon us in Japan and it's not just about seeing the blossoms. Japan is known for its outlandish Japanese cuisine and snack flavors, and it is no surprise that Japan would produce cherry blossom or sakura-flavored snacks and drinks! The cherry blossom, or sakura, the national flower of Japan, is masterfully used in cooking to produce distinct flavors and increase the allure of traditional Japanese sweets, foods, and drinks.

You can always find tasty and filling sakura food during cherry blossom season, whether you shop at Japanese markets, convenience stores, or any stalls on the street. We want to eat it, drink it, and ascend to the sakura pink palace of bliss. To help you literally taste the season, this yearly phenomenon also brings in a ton of limited edition merchandise dedicated to the delicate pink flower. We guide you through the top cherry blossom-inspired snack releases! They are not only lovely but also delicious!

1. Sakura Japanese Sake Kit Kats

We were totally mesmerized by the packaging of these newly released Sakura Kit Kats! The bars are light pink and a flavorful mixture of sakura and Japanese sake. These Kat Kits were officially introduced shortly before the Cherry Blossom season, mixing the strength of sake with the delicacy of cherry blossoms and covered in a layer of white chocolate to hide the unexpected and distinctively Japanese flavors. Even going one step further, the wafers are lightly salted to add balance. Nestle Japan mixes the chocolate with the mild flavor of the Japanese sake beverage. Each serving of these Kit Kats has 0.07% alcohol. Want to try them for yourself? Snag them here!

2. Starbucks Sakuraful Latte & Frappuccino

We can always rely on Starbucks to jump on the sakura bandwagon! This year they released the Sakuraful Latte & Frappuccino on February 15th. The Sakuraful Frappuccino and Latte from Starbucks is based on the idea of "mankai," or blossoms in full bloom. This Starbucks beverage represents full-bloom sakura flowers reflected on the water's surface. The milky base and strawberry-sakura sauce are combined to create the appearance of a row of cherry trees along a body of water in full bloom. The sakura jelly and strawberry jelly pieces were absolutely delicious, and when combined with the rich milky base, they gave the impression of eating sakura-mochi pounded rice sweet. Peeking inside the drink's base revealed a generous serving of jelly chunks, which are said to provide an exciting textural contrast to the otherwise smooth and creamy creation. When you drink it through the straw, the texture is a mix of creamy and bouncy. In addition, strawberry chocolate shavings, sakura-flavored chocolate petals, and whipped cream are sprinkled on top of the frappuccino.

3. Starbucks Sakura Chocolate with Strawberry Jelly

Starbucks also released a convenient store-style drink for your sakura craving on the go! Beautiful cherry blossoms and white chocolate flavors are combined with creamy milk and jelly, utilizing strawberry juice to create a one-of-a-kind dessert drink. The exquisite flavor and jelly-like texture are delightful and ideal for spring. The beverage within will be a delightful concoction of creamy milk, white chocolate, and sakura, with tiny strawberry-juice jelly pieces adding a sweet-tart flavor and a pleasing sensory experience. The packaging has a stunning design of light pink cherry blossoms. The presence of the spring season is really shown. It comes in exquisite packaging with pink and gold sakura, blue highlights that suggest a brilliant spring sky, and a pretty pink lid with a domed top.

4. Mister Donuts Sakura Donut

Every early spring, Mister Donut, also known as Misdo, a well-known franchised donut shop in Japan, unveils its Sakura Collection. Cherry blossoms' lovely petals inspired the Sakura doughnut's distinctive chewy texture and brilliant pink cherry blossom icing. There are no overly sweet glazes or thick cherry blossom creams. Instead, cherry blossom flavor is added to the doughnut dough throughout, giving it a lovely pink hue. With just one bite, you can taste how much sakura flavor was packed into the doughnut! The exterior's honey glaze had a nice crunch, while the interior was soft, pink, and remarkably floral.

5. Pepsi Sakura

Pepsi created a soda to match the cherry blossoms in both color and flavor. The bright pink coloring of the fizzy mixture dazzles, and as the cap is turned off, a sweet cherry aroma fills the air. The drink itself is a sugar rush in pastel hues. It's delightful to see cherry blossoms adorn the box, giving it a distinctly Japanese flair. The package is stunning, along with "Sakura" scrawled across the label as though with a calligrapher's brush and several pink blooms and petals depicted against a striking black backdrop. This limited seasonal release was made for hanami (cherry blossom spring picnic)! Try them now!

6. Sakura Mochi

With these chewy pink Sakura Mochi or rice cake, which has a sweet sakura red bean paste inside, you can now have a taste of Japan's cherry blossom season. Simply delicious chewy mochi with sweet red bean paste or Anko filling! This mochi leaves' cherry blossom fragrance takes spring to the next level! Additionally, the cherry blossom leaf outside keeps the mochi from drying out. It also functions as a type of pickled cherry blossoms that you can eat (if you like). For Japanese people, there is nothing better than indulging in sakura mochi's distinctive salty, sweet flavor and chewy, silky dough while taking in the splendor of a Hanami festival.

7. Sakura Onigiri

Cherry blossom rice balls, or sakura onigiri, are a common Japanese picnic snack for cherry blossom viewing and Hanami festivities. People use salted cherry blossoms when cooking rice, giving the finished product a saltier flavor. This kind of rice ball is distinguished by its distinctive pink color and cherry blossom scent. The rice can then be shaped using plastic molds into any shape, including the conventional triangular or circular ball shape and other fun shapes.

8. Sakura Petal Pudding

This two-layer Japanese wagashi dessert, genuine sakura blossoms, is tenaciously added to a cool peach jelly. While enjoying the creamy, milky pudding at the bottom, you can also taste the jelly's reviving Sakura flavor. Each bite of this sweet sakura is exquisite and delicate, like the cherry blossoms. The top layer of cherry blossom jelly is sweet, slightly salty, and wonderfully complements the milk pudding base. The smooth, silky pudding simply melts on your tongue.

9. Sakura Sake

These cherry blossom sake bottles are almost too lovely to consume. Every bottle has a fully preserved sakura flower that is in full bloom. When seeing cherry blossoms, Japanese people must sip cherry blossom sake. By soaking cherry flowers in alcohol to create the liquor, cherry blossoms impart a sweet perfume and give the wine a distinctive flavor. Cherry blossom wine is not only a delectable beverage to enjoy on special occasions, but it is also high in vitamins A and C, which benefit mending and beautifying the skin.

10. Kimura Sakura Cola

Cherry blossom drinks will return to Japanese stores in just a few days, and I'm sure many of you who are interested in beverages and Japanese culture are licking your lips at the idea. One of the spring's famous limited edition drinks is the Kimura Sakura Cola. This drink is a Japanese cherry blossom extract-based cola with a cherry blossom flavor. It boasts crisp carbonation and a beautiful and floral taste, like cherry blossoms. It has a delicate Japanese flavor that evokes recollections. It's ideal for a lovely cherry blossom gazing or springtime picnic! After reviving carbonic acid, you get a beautiful aftertaste with a cherry blossom aroma.

It's Japan Crate Time!

After eating and drinking our way through Japan's sakura blossoms wonderland of treats we ask ourselves "How can we describe the elusive taste of sakura?" We say its flavor is sweet and floral with a hint of fruity sourness like a strawberry. However, it's open to interpretation since everyone puts their own twist on the seasonal delight. There are many sakura treats and beverages to try! Have you yet to experience the sakura spirit?

If these 10 sakura-flavored snacks and drinks made you crave, plenty more are available in Sugoi Mart! You can purchase any sakura-flavored snacks and drinks instantly by clicking this link. We have many great deals you can enjoy! Perhaps you'd like to have a package of treats with a Japanese theme sent to your house each month? Just click this link to sign up right now. Japan Crate will bring you the taste of Japan in no time with our fast and flexible international shipping options. Enjoy!