Japan's Cherry Blossom Season

Thin noodles made from buckwheat flour, either served chilled with a dipping sauce or in hot broth as a noodle soup. Soba has been a staple of Japanese cuisine for thousands of years.

Thick wheat flour noodles served either hot in a broth or cold with a dipping sauce. Udon has a chewy texture and can be topped with various ingredients such as tempura, tofu, or vegetables.

Finely ground powder of specially grown and processed green tea leaves. It is special in two aspects of farming and processing: the green tea plants are shade-grown for about three weeks before harvest, and the stems and veins are removed during processing.

Ball-shaped Japanese snack made of a wheat flour-based batter and cooked in a special molded pan. It is typically filled with minced or diced octopus, tempura scraps, pickled ginger, and green onion.