Hanami at Home with Jones Dairy Farm

The peak bloom time for sakura (cherry blossom) in Japan is expected around March 30 in Tokyo, with peaks across the rest of Japan from March to April. Northern regions like Sapporo in Hokkaido might see sakura petals as late as early May. Sakura’s arrival brings two of the best things of the year: spring and hanami (cherry blossom viewing). Mix up your hanami picnic haul with Jones Dairy Farm-inspired recipes this spring.

Plus, you don’t need to head out into crowds if you’d rather stay at home due to he COVID-19 pandemic. Spread a picnic sheet at home, decorate with bloom branches, and enjoy hanami indoors with these creative spring picnic recipes.

Caprese Sandwich

English muffins, Jones Dairy Farm’s Canadian Bacon, and Italian flavors come together in this simple Caprese sandwich. Layer basil, mozzarella, tomato, egg, and juicy Canadian Bacon for a refreshing, balanced snack.

Read the full recipe here.

Panzanella Salad

Originating in Tuscany, panzanella salad was first made as a recovery dish to use stale bread, and the recipe isn’t complete without bread chunks that soak up all the juices from the tomatoes. Topped off with a fresh basil dressing and salty sauteed Jones Dairy Farm Dry Aged Bacon, this salad is an ideal side dish for a hanami feast.

Read the full recipe here.

Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are hard-boiled eggs that have been shelled, cut in half, and filled with a paste made from the egg yolks mixed with other ingredients — in this case, mayonnaise, blue cheese, dijon mustard and a hit of hot sauce to taste. We finish this off with a piece of crispy Dry-Aged Bacon for complex flavor and texture. If blue cheese and hot sauce are too strong for you, the beauty of this recipe is that you can easily play around with other spices, sauces and ingredients to add to the yolk filling to match your flavor preference. Serve these high-protein snacks as a bite-sized snack at your hanami feast.

Read the full recipe here.

Sausage Onigirazu

Classic Japanese onigiri gets a western twist with this fun sausage onigirazu recipe by recipe developer @barbieskitchen. Wrap Jones Dairy Farm All Natural Breakfast Pork Patties in rice, lettuce and sauces in nori sheets and voila — your family’s instant new finger-food lunch favorite. Great for bento too!

Read the full recipe here.

Did you make any of these hanami recipes at home? Share your photos with us at our Instagram jonesdairyfarm_japan.