Sakura-Inspired Snacks
BOTANICAL BITES
When we came across this cherry-blossom onigiri, a Japanese rice snack, at our local farmers market, we tried it immediately – and then had to find out more, of course.
Kinoko Japanese Home Cooking was founded by chef Yuko Kaneko. Kinoko means “mushrooms” in Japanese, and Yuko wanted to draw on the legacy of the kind of Japanese home-style cooking that her mother did, with a special emphasis on comfort food.
Based out of West Marin County, just north of the Golden Gate Bridge, Kinoko can be found in multiple Bay Area farmers markets each week, turning out onigiri and delicious dishes that often sell out, including poke bowls, donburi, gyoza, homemade soups, and bento boxes.
Sake-steamed chicken, matcha soba noodles, and gochujang roasted sweet potatoes are just a few of the comforting recipes that Yuko’s created. Local ingredients from nearby farmers and producers – including purple basil, kabocha pumpkin, shiso, blue oyster mushrooms, and her signature pickled cherry blossoms – are creatively woven into her flavor-packed dishes and used as bright garnishes for Kinoko’s colorful offerings.
Most weeks, Kinoko offers seven or eight different kinds of onigiri, and the cherry blossom onigiri is highlighted on each week’s menu board. Adding to the natural, botanical vibe are the cherry-blossom-patterned tablecloths covering the workspaces in their farmers-market stand.
We asked Yuko to share a bit more about her background, what inspires her, and her favorite flowers.
Your recipes are so delicious! Where did you learn to cook, and how did your business begin?
I learned some cooking from my mom and am also self-taught. My husband Nick is a trained chef, so I’ve also learned some things from him. I’ve worked in different restaurant/cafe settings and professionally as a pastry chef, and I started Kinoko in 2022 as a solo project.
Tell us about your earliest memory involving flowers.
When I was in first grade, my class planted and grew morning glory flowers.
What inspired you to create your cherry blossom onigiri, and how do you make it?
Pickled cherry blossoms are a traditional part of Japanese cooking. They’re edible, and are fairly easy to find. When they’re in season, I pickle them by salting them first, then drying them. After that, I put them in ume plum vinegar to store them.
Have you created other foods or dishes with edible flowers?
Yes, with chrysanthemum flowers. Other flowers are sometimes incorporated as garnishes on our dishes, too.
What’s your favorite flower and favorite season?
Dahlias, and fall.
Favorite color?
Yellow!
What are some of your other interests and hobbies?
I like to spend time sewing and sashiko stitching, which is a kind of traditional Japanese embroidery that often evokes patterns from nature.
