Springtime: Enjoying the Cherry Blossoms In San Francisco
- kalianieg
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- Apr 23
- 6 min read
Updated: May 1
Cherry blossoms fill the air, with their beautiful scent and delicate petals. This year I was able to attend the first and last day of the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival in San Francisco. The experience this year was different because the plaza was being renovated. Thousands of people attend the cherry blossoms each year, but everything seemed more packed due to the space limitations. The wait times for the restaurants were long and the lines to the bathrooms were outrageous. The mall has multiple bathrooms, but in the higher traffic areas the lines wrapped around corners. They did have outside porta potties, but I notice not many people like to use those. I will say the first day was much less packed compared to other days. If you plan to attend next year, I recommend going early and going on the first Saturday of the festival, so you won’t get overwhelmed with the crowd of people. You can tell Japan Town has really focused its attention on its younger population with crane games, photo booths, gotcha games, delicious boba and sweet treat spots. I noticed that many of the events that they put together were hard to find or people didn't know about them due to lack of signage. This year they blocked off Sutter Street to include artist tables and according to people i spoke to vending there, that street didn't get much attraction compared to Post Street. Also many of the cultural events were at the centers on Sutter Street. I write this all to say, I love this little spring celebration. It made me wonder where it all started. At the end I share some cherry blossom desserts I’ve made and tried.
Significance of Cherry Blossoms in Japan
Cherry blossoms are native to many Asian countries, yet Japan has the most trees planted in their country. Their symbology is very sacred and deep rooted in Asian culture, for example in China cherry blossoms symbolize femininity and love. The cherry blossoms are also linked to Buddhism, they reflect the idea of gratitude and mortality. Since the blooms are fleeting and only last two weeks, it is a reminder on how short life is and it is important to live in the moment. The life cycle of the blooms reflects human experience as well, how we all grow, bloom and die, so we should celebrate life's beauty the way we celebrate the beautiful cherry blossoms. The fallen petals are a representation of life's end, and this way of thinking stems way back to the Age of the Samurai. Cherry blossoms are also Japan's national flower. The cherry blossoms also signal the beginning of spring. People use this moment to signify renewal and rebirth.
Hanami: Cherry Blossom Viewing
In Japan, cherry blossom viewing is a popular event, which is called Hanami and people from all around the world go to Japan just to view it. The parks are full of visitors and tourist in the two weeks that the blossoms bloom. It is customary to have a picnic under the blooms and enjoy the blossoms. Older generations celebrate the plum blossoms which bloom before the cherries since plum blossoms were traditionally celebrated back in the day. Throughout the years cherry blossoms became more popular due to their soft pink blooms. It is a time to be with family and friends and reflect on life.
Spring Celebrations
Spring is celebrated throughout the whole entire world. Celebrating new beginnings and rebirth. Yet, nothing calls to me more than the cherry blossoms. There is something about the flowers that are so captivating. This year I also attended Free Tulip Day in Union Square in San Francisco. For a once in a lifetime experience, I would recommend it if you love free flowers, and are crazy enough to stand for hours in a line where you are not guaranteed flowers, as they play by a first come, first serve basis. Many cultures consider springtime to be the start of the New Year. Since the common theme for spring is newness and regrowth. You can see many celebrations all around the world holding different spring traditions.
Yummy Food
If you have access to a local Japanese market, you can find many products with cherry blossoms. Known as Sakura in Japan, you can find Sakura flavored items being sold in Japan during this time of year. This year I had the grand idea to try baking with cherry blossoms. I walked into my local Japanese store not really knowing what I was looking for. I was just hoping to find dried flower petals or tea leaves. That's when I found Sakura Cha. Sakura Cha is dried cherry blossoms that are preserved in plum vinegar then coated in salt. It is then steeped and made into tea. When I saw the flowers, I wasn't sure what to do with them but on my way home I found out that you can make tea with it. With more research I found out that the pickled blossoms are also used in foods and desserts. The first thing I tried when I got home was to make it into tea. It was recommended to shake or wash off some of the salt because it is not supposed to be too salty. Then you steep it in hot water for a few minutes and enjoy it. I will say there was a sweet pluminess to the tea. The flavor was very delicate and sort of comforting. I don't know if I will drink it again.
Next, I baked them into cookies. Originally what I had in mind was to make a sugar cookie type of cookie and have a flavored frosting on top in the shape of a cherry blossom. What I ended up making was a cherry blossom biscuit recipe which I found on a blog. It’s a great recipe. It makes 12 cookies, and it bakes fast, yet I somehow over baked them. They were still delicious, and I would definitely make again. Then later I made cherry blossom onigiri. One recipe told me that the cherry blossoms would give it enough salt, so you don't really need to add anything to them. I will definitely use more salt next time if I decide to make them again. Another recipe recommended pickled eggplant which is said to pair well with the Sakura blossoms. I wasn't sure where to find that. Next spring I would like to experiment with other foods using the cherry blossoms.
At the same store I came across Sakura udon noodles. I almost purchased them, but I felt they needed a sweet broth to pair with the pink noodles. It wasn't till I wrote this blog I found out that the Sakura noodles are served cold. They don’t require broth but pair well with dipping sauces. Last but not least I was able to try a Sakura soda that was served at a ramen restaurant. Seeing the pink flowers float in glass with ice and syrup. I wish I remembered what syrup they used in the drink, but it was delicious and refreshing. The blossoms were more for aesthetics than taste.
Reference
Wikipedia contributors. "Cherry blossom." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 22 Apr. 2025. Web. 23 Apr. 2025.
Patrick, Jason. “What Is Hanami? A Complete Guide to the Japanese Cultural Experience.” Just about Japan, 14 Dec. 2022, justaboutjapan.com/what-is-hanami-a-complete-guide-to-the-japanese-cultural-experience/. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
Patrick, Jason. “Cherry Blossoms In Japan: Meaning And Symbolism.” Just about Japan, 14 December 2022, justaboutjapan.com/cherry-blossoms-in-japan-meaning-and-symbolism/. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
Terry, Tokyo. “Cherry Blossom Tea: Why Is It so Unique? - Sakuraco.” Sakuraco | Japanese Snacks & Candy Subscription Box, 23 Feb. 2024, sakura.co/blog/cherry-blossom-tea-why-is-it-so-unique. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
Murata, Sachiko. “Sakura Biscuits Recipe.” Yunomi.life, 25 Mar. 2021, yunomi.life/ja/blogs/recipes/cooking-with-sakura. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
Alayna. “Strawberry Sushi.” Thyme Bombe, 3 June 2013, thymebombe.com/2013/06/03/strawberry-sushi/. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this and learned a little. If you live in San Francsico, you can admire cherry blossoms trees on the street. We have many cherry trees planted all throughout the city.
Important Dates!
April 30th: Blog Post
May 1st: Comic Post
May 7th: blog Post
July 19 & 20: Anime Market Sacramento
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What a beautiful post I really enjoyed reading it! Gotta say this years cherry blossom was a spectacular. It wasn’t too packed when I went because I went on the first Saturday of the celebration.