Cherry Blossom Festival

Street Festival season has begun! This weekend was the kickoff of the Cherry Blossom Festival in Japantown. This annual festival celebrates the traditions and culture of the Japanese community. One of our first stops was a Tea Ceremony demonstration held in a replica of a Japanese Tea House. This was a really nice experience. We learned a lot about how Tea Ceremonies are a elemental component of traditional Japanese culture. During the demonstration, we go to sample a sweet and some traditional green tea. Thank goodness the red bean cake was overly sweet as the tea was quite bitter. Next up was the origami exhibit. The items on display were pretty amazing. Hard to believe they are made from a couple of pieces of paper huh?

Afterward, we headed for the good stuff…the food :). The lines were super long at most of the stands therefore, we only got to try two items. The first was beef balls. These delicious treats consisted of beef fried in a rice coating with teriyaki sauce on top. So yummy!

Next, we tried Japanese Hot Dogs. These were outstanding. I forgot what exactly was on mine, but I do remember how delectable it was. The coolest part was the seaweed garnish on top.