Celebrating Hanami

Fleur de Geisha tea

Celebrating the blooming of the cherry blossoms...

This is the final weekend of the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival in Japantown, San Francisco, California.   Since I'm not able to attend the festival, I'm celebrating spring and Hanami at home with Fleur de Geisha tea and sakuramochi.  

I've written about Fleur de Geisha tea before.  It's made by Le Palais des The`s, a French tea company that I discovered years ago in Paris.  The last time I was in Paris, I purchased the tea in this beautiful Washi paper caddy used in my photos.  It features a sakura (cherry blossom) motif that is traditionally found on geishas kimonos.  This washi tin is now discontinued and has been replaced with a more modern pink metal tin.   

 Cherry Blossom Tea Break

Fleur de Geisha tea is perfect to enjoy in spring and was actually inspired by the Japanese Hanami tradition of cherry blossom viewing.  This signature tea blend is a Japanese green tea with a very subtle cherry blossom flavor and aroma.  I've made it a tradition, to enjoy it every spring during cherry blossom season.   

 Sakuramochi 

For a Hanami tea break, I find sakuramochi are a perfect accompaniment to Fleur de Geisha tea.  

Sakuramochi are a Japanese sweet made of a sweet pink-colored mochi (rice cake) with a red bean paste center and and wrapped with a pickled cherry blossom leaf.  They are traditionally enjoyed during the spring season.  I find them every spring at Oto's Marketplace in Sacramento, California. 

La recette du the` glace

(Iced tea recipe)

This year, for the first time, I'm enjoying Fleur de Geisha iced.  Here's the recipe I used that is printed on the Fleur de Geisha box:

Fleur de Geisha Iced Tea Recipe

Infuse 20 grams of tea in 1 Liter of cold water for half an hour.  

Then keep refrigerated.  

Enjoy and be sure to take time for Hanami and the beauty of flowers. 

(In the photos:  Japanese blossom plate by Mino and washi tea tin caddy.)