Mitarashi Dango - traditional Japanese sweet
Dango (Jap. 団子 Dumpling) are rice flour dumplings or balls that are skewered and considered a traditional Japanese sweet. These delicate balls can have various flavors and are primarily served for the Japanese tea ceremony or with green tea. The most popular variety, Mitarashi Dango, is coated with a sweet Mitarashi sauce after boiling. This thickened sweet soy sauce gives the rice dumplings their delicious and unmistakable taste.
The diversity of the Dango dessert
While An-Dango are coated with azuki bean paste and are very popular among adults, Botchan Dango are a favorite among children. This specialty is not just a treat for the taste buds; it's also visually appealing as the rice flour balls are dyed in three different colors and skewered in sets of three. One Dango is colored with Anko, one with egg yolk, and one with Matcha. Often, food coloring is also used to give the skewers their traditional red, white, and green colors. Exotic variations like Dango Goma with salty sesame seeds, Dango Nori with dried and seasoned nori, or Dango Kinako with roasted soybean flour are just a few examples of how adventurous the Japanese can be with their dessert variations.
Mitarashi dango recipe - dessert for 6 portions
30g
Shiratamako (Japanese glutinous rice flour)
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90g
Joshinko (Japanese rice flour)
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1 tablespoon
sugar
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90-100ml
warm water
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4 tablespoons
water
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3 tablespoons
sugar
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1 tablespoon
soy sauce
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2 tablespoons
katakuriko (starch)
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