Because just two sakura-flavored ingredients still wouldn’t be quite enough.

The cherry blossoms won’t be blooming in Japan until April, but the annual appearance of new sakura desserts happens much sooner. Part of the festivities for Hinamatsuri (also known as Girls’ Day) is eating the traditional Japanese confectionary called sakura mochi, and since Hinamatsuri falls on March 3, the latter half of February always sees a slew of sakura sweets going on sale as well.

This year, Häagen-Dazs is getting in on the action with a new flavor in its mochi ice cream series. On February 27, the brand’s new Mochi Sakura An flavor (pictured above) goes on sale, with a triple helping of cherry blossom deliciousness.

The first nod to Japan’s famous flowers is the sakura ice cream. Sitting above that is a layer of soft, stretchy mochi rice cake, which is in turn topped with sweet, salty sakura an sweet bean paste. Finally, sakura sauce is drizzled over the whole thing, giving you three ways to enjoy this uniquely Japanese flavor.

Going on sale at the same time is Häagen-Dazs’ Mochi Walnut Azuki flavor. This time the ice cream itself has the taste of azuki, sweet red beans, and the mochi topping is covered with the sugar syrup called kuromitsu and chunks of walnut.

Both flavors are priced at 324 yen (US$2.90), and if they’re anything like Häagen-Dazs’ sesame mochi ice cream we tried last year, should be just as enjoyable to look at and play with as they are to eat.

Source: Häagen-Dazs via IT Media
Images: Häagen-Dazs

Follow Casey on Twitter, where sometimes it’s hard for him to remember what life was like before matcha and sakura flavors made up half of his dessert intake.