Haku Sakura Cherry Blossom Shoyu - 375 ml - Kyoto, Japan
Sakura are cherry blossoms are collected as the fall into nets, where they are quickly preserved in salt. Fresh cherry blossoms are washed in a combination of fresh water and Ume plum or red shiso vinegar vinegar in order to preserve their delicate pink color. Then they are packed in layers with salt, and left to pickle for 3-4 weeks. This method of preservation was developed over generation in order to preserve the unique flavor of cherry blossoms throughout the whole year. It also beautifully preserves the dark pink color.
Pickled cherry blossoms were originally used to make Sakura tea, a specialty reserved for very special occasions, such as weddings. When cooked together with rice, the blossoms not only creates a beautiful color contrast with the white rice, turning it a beautiful pale pink, but the rice also absorbs the flowery aromas of the cherry blossoms.
But nowadays, chefs and home cooks alike are getting more creative, and pickled sakura also made their way into other both savory and sweet dishes. One such product is this salt-pickled sakura cherry blossom. The sakura are added into already aging barrels of white shoyu, and left there to age an additional 1 year, in order to infuse the perfume and color of the blossoms.
In the end, the flavor is very light and delicate, and the shoyu has a light cherry hue.
Haku Sakura Cherry Blossom Shoyu Ingredients: water, wheat, sea salt, soy, cherry blossoms.