Hanami Dango

Hanami [花見] means "flower viewing" (from hana "flower" and mi "to see"), but the hanami celebration is more that just admiring the blossoms. It means at the same time outdoor parties, with lots of sake and beer and, of course, food.

The traditional sweet for the sakura viewing season is the Hanami dango, 3 pieces of mochi rice dumplings, each in a different color: pink for the cherry blossoms, white fro the winter that passed, and green for the springtime...