Win a box of April Nourishing Essentials Care Package filled with sakura and ume flavored goodies from Kokoro Care Packages! This is a worldwide giveaway, so enter for your chance to win the delicious box for yourself.
Spring is one of the most beautiful times in Japan. As the weather warms, cherry blossoms, known as sakura, and ume (Japanese plum) flowers begin to bloom filling the sky with their delicate pink petals. To help you celebrate springtime in Japan, we’re excited to partner with our friends at Kokoro Care Packages to give away their upcoming April Sakura & Ume Nourishing Essentials Care Package. The beautiful box features sakura and ume flavored condiments and pantry items as well as an in-depth English brochure with recipes. Learn more below.
The giveaway is open to Just One Cookbook readers worldwide (35+ countries) and three (3) lucky winners will be selected!
Win an April Sakura & Ume Nourishing Essentials Care Package Today!
Sakura have become famous around the world, but cherry trees actually bloom second to another famous springtime blossom in Japan: ume (Japanese plum) flowers. Both flowers have a special place in Japanese culture, with picnickers flocking to parks and castle grounds for hanami (lit. “flower viewing”) as they laze and unwind under the blossoming trees to enjoy their favorite seasonal foods.
Celebrate the spirit of sakura season as you enjoy these special sakura and ume inspired foods:
SAKURA JAM (桜ジャム)
Sakura blossoms from Nagaon gently flavor this jam while creating a light pink blush reminiscent of spring. It has a gentle sweetness followed by a light floral taste and is a perfect spread for toast, scones, biscuits, or pancakes, as a topping on ice cream and cakes, or stirred into rice pudding or oatmeal.
SAKURA RICE SEASONING (桜ご飯の素)
Sakura rice, which features salt-pickled cherry blossoms with steamed rice, is a springtime delicacy in Japan. To make this salt-pickled sakura rice seasoning, sakura flowers are handpicked while still young, washed, dried, and drained before being preserved with salt. The blossoms are left for one full day before being squeezed and soaked in ume (Japanese plum) vinegar, and dried in the shade. They add a beautiful light pink color to rice while providing a delicate salty yet floral flavor.
SAKURA HOUJICHA (桜ほうじ茶)
This blend of sakura and houjicha, a nutty and caramel roasted tea, is a relaxing treat to enjoy while watching the springtime blossoms in Japan and is made by a company that has been producing tea since the Meji era – over 150 years ago.
UME OCHAZUKE (梅お茶漬)
Umeboshi (pickled Japanese plum) are used as a seasoning in this ochazuke – a traditional yet simple comfort food made by pouring tea over a bowl of steamed rice with savory toppings. This special ume ochazuke seasoning also comes with traditional Japanese rice crackers made using high quality ingredients and traditional production methods, all without additives or chemical seasonings.
SUN DRIED UMEBOSHI (ぺたんこちょび梅)
Nothing tastes like spring in Japan as much as tart pickled Japanese plums known as umeboshi. Unlike regular umeboshi that contain a large pit, these sun-dried umeboshi are seedless and are made using one of the most prized varieties of ume, nanko ume, which are a local specialty of Wakayama Prefecture.
ORGANIC UME VINEGAR PICKLED GINGER (梅酢しょうが)
This organic ume vinegar pickled ginger is made by infusing domestic ginger and red shiso leaves with ume vinegar. The final result is a pickled ginger that is mellow in flavor, especially when compared to Japan’s more common pickled ginger known as beni shouga.
About Kokoro Care Packages
Kokoro (written as 心 in kanji) translates into “heart” in Japanese, yet has a much deeper meaning. It represents the “spirit”, “soul” and “emotion”, and is the foundation of each of the Kokoro Care Packages. You can read more here
Kokoro Care Packages was founded by two female entrepreneurs, Lillian Hanako Rowlatt and Aki Sugiyama, two friends living an ocean apart but who wanted to share their love of authentic Japanese food while supporting local Japanese farmers and producers. They offer a curation of premium-quality, artisanal, all-natural Japanese foods delivered straight from Japan to your door. All products are free from chemicals and many cannot be found outside of Japan.
They work closely with local producers who share their values and are passionate about the foods they create while connecting you to their stories and their communities. They also include all the English translations and recipes making their products easy to enjoy.
How Does the Service Work?
Kokoro Care Packages offers three different options:
- Monthly and seasonal Subscription Care Packages based on a changing theme.
- A permanent curation of Collection Care Packages including Japanese cooking essentials, tea, snacks, baking, vegan, and dashi.
- NEW: Single items available for purchase at their Market: Michi no Eki.
Special Discount for Just One Cookbook Readers Worldwide
Kokoro Care Packages is also offering Just One Cookbook readers a 10% discount on your first order from a subscription purchase.
CODE: JOCSAKURAUME10
You can use the code at the checkout and it is limited to one use per customer. Be sure to use your code by March 31st, 2022.
GIVEAWAY RULES:
Please Note: Your email for the comment entry has to match with your email address in my Email Newsletter Subscription mailing list.
This giveaway contest closes on Friday, March 25, 2022, at 12 p.m. PST and is open worldwide*.
*Note: please check this page to see if your country is included.
Three (3) winners will be selected via Random.org and contacted via email, so please include a valid email address in the email address entry box (please double check your spelling!).
Disclaimer: The winners are required to respond within 36 hours to claim the prize. If we did not hear from you from the given dateline, we’ll proceed to select other winners.
(CLOSED) HOW TO ENTER:
You can enter up to 6 tickets (max) to increase your odds of winning. Good luck!
Ticket 1 (Required): Subscribe to Kokoro Care Packages newsletter at the bottom of the homepage and leave a comment below with your favorite Japanese food.
Ticket 2 (Required): Subscribe to JOC Email Newsletter if you haven’t and leave a comment below.
Ticket 3 (Optional): Follow Kokoro Care Instagram OR like them on Facebook and leave a comment below.
Ticket 4 (Optional): Follow my Instagram and leave a separate comment below.
Ticket 5 (Optional): Like my Facebook and leave a separate comment below.
Ticket 6 (Optional): Subscribe to my Youtube channel and leave a separate comment below.
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The giveaway is now closed. The winners are:
- Barb Reynolds
- Hesper
- Eliana
Congratulations! We’ll contact you shortly.
