Cherry Blossoms Worth Celebrating with Food, Wine or Poetry

Glance out any window in Abington or stroll down the street, and blooms are in full blaze right now. For thousands of years, there has been a Japanese tradition of the annual hanami, or cherry blossom viewing parties, to celebrate spring.

In Japanese culture, cherry blossoms represent rebirth, and also the fragility of life because the blossoms have breathtaking beauty that only lasts for a few weeks.

The Japanese tradition of celebrating spring by admiring and honoring cherry blossoms is also in full swing in the area.

The Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival of the Greater Philadelphia area continues until April 15 with events, art exhibits, music concerts and Japanese food demonstrations.

Celebrate the spirit of the cherry blossoms in Abington by going out for a sushi dinner at Kiku on Old York Road or Ooka Sushi on Easton Road.

Or have a full-on tempanyaki experience, where the trained chef flings shrimp into the air, dices and grills rice, noodles and entrees in front of the table. The flaming onion volcano is always a highlight of the experience at Hibachi of Jenkintown on Old York Road.

If staying home and sipping a libation under a nearby blossoming cherry tree in Abington sounds better this week, sip sake, the national export of Japan.

Sake is a rice wine that is well-known to some as being served hot in Japanese restaurants. Fine sake, however, is served room temperature or slightly chilled so the palate can pick up the subtleties of the spirit.

The Wine & Spirits store on Easton Road in Abington carries a large variety of sakes, including a pink sparkling sake perfect for splitting with a friend in honor of spring. The small bottle is bulbous and holds just enough to celebrate, but not overindulge.

Other than the specialty, natural carbonated sake, Wine & Spirits carries more traditional flat sakes, which are just as versatile as wine and are wonderful paired with foods such as chocolate, wine and Asian food, of course.

Sake also makes a great cocktail when mixed with another favorite Japanese flavor—ginger. This is a less traditional method of drinking sake than the older way of enjoying it in a small tasting glass on its own, but it is a fun way to experience the spirit with a little bit more pizazz and a little less strength.

Ginger sake stir-up

2-inch segment fresh ginger, peeled and sliced

5 ounces ginger ale

2 ounces sake

1 sprig mint

In a tall glass, muddle the ginger. Add sake and chilled ginger ale, and stir to combine. Garnish with mint leaves, if desired.

Kun pai!

Another traditional Japanese cultural way to celebrate cherry blossoms in spring is to write a haiku. It is a great way to teach children about a different form of poetry while considering the impact of words.

Haiku are three line poems that are based on the number of syllables, not the rhyming scheme. Haiku poems have five syllables in the first line, seven syllables in the middle, and five in the last line.

Most haiku poems are written about nature. The art form is a perfect way to jot down thoughts of spring, the fleeting beauty of cherry blossoms, or the richness of Japanese culture. Here are examples of haiku from www.tokyotopia.com.

Fie! This fickle world!

Three days, neglected cherry branch...

And you are bare

by Ryota

Live in simple faith...

Just as this simple cherry,

Flower, fades and falls.

by Issa

For more information on the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia, visit www.jasgp.org/cherryblossomfestival.