Hard boil the eggs.

Add salt in a pan of boiling water, and boil the nanohana. When cooked, drain and refresh in cold water to stop the cooking and preserve its colour. Cut into the same size as the bread slices.

Put 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise and a small amount of mustard (Japanese or western) in a bowl and mix together. Add the blanched nanohana and mix.

Soak about 1 tablespoon of very finely chopped onion in water.

Mash up the egg yolks with a fork. Chop the whites finely.

Drain the onion and mix with the egg. Season with a little salt and pepper and about 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, add the mayonnaise and mix well.

Cut the tomato in half and remove the seeds. Slice about 5 mm thick.

Spread the butter and a little mustard on the bread. Top with the egg mixture, lettuce, nanohana and tomato.

Tip: If you squeeze mayonnaise between the fillings, it will act like glue and hold the sandwich together.

Add the ham. You can also add bacon or boiled shrimp!

Wrap the sandwiches 2 at a time in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator.

Tip: When cutting the sandwiches, cut them while they are still in the plastic wrap to prevent falling apart.

Pack the cut sandwiches with the wrap still on in lunch boxes. The plastic will prevent them from drying out.

You could serve these for your afternoon tea.

Spring colored nanohana sandwiches!