"Sakura" meaning cherry blossom, is the consumption of raw horse meat in Japan
Basashi from KumamotoIn Japanese cuisine, raw horse meat is called sakura (桜?) or sakuraniku (桜肉?, sakura means cherry blossom, niku means meat) because of its pink color. It can be served raw as sashimi in thin slices dipped in soy sauce, often with ginger and onions added.[57] In this case, it is called basashi (馬刺し?). Basashi is popular in some regions of Japan and is often served at izakaya bars. Fat, typically from the neck, is also found as basashi, though it is white, not pink. Horse meat is also sometimes found on menus for yakiniku (a type of barbecue), where it is called baniku (馬肉?, literally "horse meat") or bagushi (馬串?, "skewered horse"); thin slices of raw horse meat are sometimes served wrapped in a shiso leaf. Kumamoto, Nagano and Ōita are famous for basashi, and it is common in the Tohoku region as well. Some types of canned "corned meat" in Japan include horse as one of the ingredients.[58][59] There is also a dessert made from horse meat called basashi ice cream.[60] The company that makes it is known for its unusual ice cream flavors, many of which have limited popularity. @Curionic
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