Not Only Cherry Blossoms

Do you know the Japanese word "hanami" ?

It means literally “seeing flowers”, but actually it is a picnic under cherry blossoms.

In the spring many Japanese enjoy a bento lunch box and sake or beer while enjoying the cherry blossom.

Weather forecasters say in March “where goes the cherry blossom front so far?”.

But cherry blossoms are not the first blossoms of spring.

In February in many regions in Japan, it is the season of ume blossoms.

The blossoms are white or pink and can be single or double.

Ume was translated as “plum” but It is said that it was a mistake and that the ume is a different plant.

I think they are closely related though.

Some say that in ancient Japan "seeing flowers in spring" meant enjoying ume blossom, not cherry blossom.

It seems that the Japanese were more resistant to cold!

Even today, some Japanese prefer ume blossom over cherry blossom.

It is only a question of taste, but ume blossom has one advantage over cherry blossom; we can enjoy the flowers without being disturbed by drunk people with their loud singing or the smoke from barbecues.

Oh, I almost forgot!

There is another good thing - ume trees give us ume fruits, very small acidic plums, that we can pickle or use to make liquor.