As one that has grown up in the southern hemisphere, the seasonal calendar made famous by prolific American media was always inappropriate but still not adjusted. White Christmases and hot Augusts made more sense when you move to the northern half. In the middle of the UK, seasonal changes are a lot more distinct that what I recall in Australia. I have personally have made the appearance of spring flowers the sign that I will eventually pack my thick winter-weight coats. It is always exciting when you have planted the dormant-looking bulbs a few months earlier to find that they have shoots, then leaves, then flower buds and finally it blooms.
Another spring feature are colours of the season: in Japan they consider pink, white and green the colours of Spring. The pink represents the early flowers blooming against the white of snow while there are signs of green tips ready to burst into a multitude of leaves for Summer. With the tulips strutting their stuff, I guess I too had to do something for the season:
Lunch contents: spinach namul, home-made kimchi, steamed cabbage ‘dividers’, garnished noriben*, edamame skewer with carrot ‘flower’, battered prawns.
The noriben is simply one of katsuobushi, soy sauce and nori but has been topped with a crabstick/pickled ginger/sesame flower. The stem is stewed hijiki and the green parts are chives from the garden.