Just in time for hanami picnics in the park.

Over the next few weeks, people across Japan will be headed to parks, riversides, and gardens for hanami, or cherry-blossom viewing. As they partake in this quintessentially Japanese springtime excursion, though, many of them will be craving pizza.

Pizza is actually popular at any time of year in Japan, but it’s an especially attractive choice for a hanami party in that it’s something you can eat with your hands, meaning you don’t need to worry about bringing cutlery with you if you’re planning to eat under the boughs of a sakura tree. Knowing this, Pizza Hut Japan has brought out a suitably eclectic addition to its menu, the Teritama Hut Melts.

As for what exactly that name means, Hut Melts is Pizza Hut Japan’s recently launched Hut Melts line of individual-sized pizza with crisp crust on both the bottom and top, making them a little like a quesadilla, structurally speaking. Teritama is a combination of teriyaki and tamago, the Japanese word for “egg,” since the Teritama Hut Melts is stuffed with not just cheese, but also teriyaki chicken and egg.

For those who want to add even more flavor to the mix, the Teritama Hut Melts comes with a pair of dipping sauces, honey mustard and mentaiko, or spicy cod roe. Though mentaiko isn’t exclusively eaten in spring, Pizza Hut Japan points out that its pink color is sakura-similar, which it says also applies to the bacon in the Carbonara Hut Melts it’s also introducing.

Both Hut Melts come with a side of French fries and are priced at 880 yen (US$6) for carry-out or 1,180 yen for delivery. They’re on sale now and will be available for a limited time, and if you order them at lunchtime (designated as 11 a.m.-4 p.m.) on a weekday, Pizza Hut will throw in a free bottle of tea, cola, or other soft drink.

Because really, you can never have too many excuses to blow off work and just go relax in the park during sakura season.

Source: PR Times via Entabe
Top image: PR Times
Insert images: PR Times, Pizza Hut Japan
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