The Cultural Significance of Cherry Blossoms

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Cherry, Sour Cherry or Prunus cerasus


Cherry, Sour Cherry, Prunus cerasus

Sour Cherry or Prunus cerasus is a tree growing to 4-10 metres tall. It has white blossoms with 5 sepals, 5 petals, 15-20 stamens and one pestle. The fruit has a sour-sweet taste. Cherries contain organic acids such as citric, malic and succinic. The fruit is rich in macro elements (calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium) and micro elements (copper, iron) and vitamins (A, C, B2, PP, P). Fruits of cherry are usually served fresh. However, they can be used for producing juice, fruit wine or jam.

Cherry, Cultural Significance of Cherry

Cultural Significance of Cherry


Some botanists say that the Sour Cherry is the result of cross-breeding of Sweet Cherry and Steppe Cherry. The breeding could happen in Macedonia or in the North Caucasus long ago. The Greeks recognized Sour Cherry in 300 B.C.E. The fruit was also known to the Old Romans who brought it into the British Isles about 1 century A.D.E. During the time of colonialism Sour Cherry was introduced to Americas. Thus, cherry fruit has been widely used in culinary arts. Fresh and dried cherries are used in cakes, pies and tarts. Vareniki with cherries is a traditional dish in Ukraine and in the South of Russia. Various kinds of cherry liqueur, syrup and even beer are well-known nearly all over the world today, as well.

Japanese Cherry – Sakura


Sakura, Japan
In Japan Sakura is a symbol of the transience of human life. A fallen Sakura blossom stands for a samurai who sacrificed the life for the emperor. 3,000 cherry-blossom trees were given to the United States by Japan in 1912, as a symbol of new relations between the two nations. At present, the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival takes place in Washington, D.C. as a symbol of the renewal of nature, spring and friendship. During the WW2 sakura blossoms were painted on warplanes of kamikaze, special pilots trained to crash an aircraft into the targets. Nowadays, every spring the Japanese celebrate “Hanami” or “flower viewing”. The custom of ‘Hanami’ comes back to the 8 century. Thousands of people enjoy the transient beauty of cherry blossoms in parks and gardens for many hours with their families and friends. 

Comments

  1. Unknown10 June 2016 at 18:56

    Thanks for this article ! I loved reading it ! I will come back for more ! :)

    Greetings,
    Guy(from Belgium)

    ReplyDelete

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