World Cheese Encyclopedia - Each Sunday learn all about a new cheese.

This week Sakura from Japan.

Country: Japan 🇯🇵

Region: Hokkaidō island

Made from: Cow’s milk

Pasteurised: Yes

Texture: Soft

Taste: sweet, acid, creamy

Certification: No

Ageing: 10 days

Sakura is a camembert-style soft cheese from Hokkaidō, Japan. The name means literally Cherry Blossom Cheese. Sakura – cherry blossoms – are a symbol of Japan and there are cherry blossom festivals each year during the season when the trees bloom.

Sakura cheese comes from the island of Hokkaido which has excellent land and climate for dairy farming and is the first Japanese cheese to win international recognition.

It is a small round cheese about 7 cm in diameter and 3 cm high. It is a soft smooth cheese made from cow's milk, Japanese yeast, and microbes and is matured on top of cherry blossom leaves. It is aged for 10 days and sold with a pickled cherry blossom in the center. Cherry blossoms bloom in April and May so Sakura cheese is also a seasonal cheese only available during this time period.

Sakura is a creamy white color, and has a delicate, creamy flavor with light sweetness balanced with a slight acidity. There are also notes of shiso leaf. The combination of cheese and aroma of cherry blossom is very unique.

History

The introduction of cheese to Japan goes back centuries when Mongolian style cheeses were brought over from China and Korea, however cheese did not become part of mainstream Japanese food culture until the Meiji Era of late 19th century. Even today it is still not a staple of Japanese cuisine, but the demand for cheese has grown over the past years. The Japanese have started drinking more wine which has resulted in an increased interest in cheese. Cheese has also been broadly recognized as a healthy food rich in protein.

Founded in 1974 by Mr. Shinichiro Miyajima, Kyodogakusha Shintoku Dairy Farm in Tokachi Plain, Hokkaido was the first to introduce Sakura Cheese and is the most popular producer of Sakura.

Sakura cheese has the extraordinary distinction of having won a gold medal at the Mountain Cheese Olympics in Appenzell, Switzerland in the "soft cheese" category.

How to enjoy it

Sakura cheese can be eaten as a snack or as part of a cheese board. It’s delicate flavor and aroma pairs well with sake.

Sources: Wikipedia, thewonder500.com, Taste Atlas, ylisza.weebly.com, thedailymeal.com, midorinoshima.com

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