Hanami Dango (Traditional Japanese Tricolor Rice Dumplings)

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Hanami Dango (Traditional Japanese Tricolor Rice Dumplings)

A classic spring wagashi (Japanese sweet) made with a traditional blend of shiratamako and jyoshinko rice flours for the ultimate soft-and-chewy texture. Naturally colored with vibrant matcha and real strawberry powder.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: dango recipe, hanami dango, japanese rice dumplings, matcha dango, Wagashi

Servings: skewers

Calories: 75kcal

Ingredients

For the Shiratama Dough

125 g Shiratamako (glutinous rice flour / approx. 1 cup)
67 g Granulated sugar (approx. ⅓ cup)
75 ml Cold water (approx. ½ cup)

For the Jyoshin Dough

75 g Jyoshinko (non-glutinous rice flour / approx. ½ cup)
50 ml Hot water (approx. ¼ cup)

Natural Color & Flavor

1 tsp Matcha powder
2 tsp Strawberry powder (from finely crushed, sifted freeze-dried strawberries)

Instructions

Prepare the Shiratama Dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together the shiratamako and granulated sugar. Gradually pour in the cold water, mixing well until the coarse granules dissolve and the mixture becomes smooth.
Prepare the Jyoshin Dough: In a separate bowl, add the jyoshinko. Carefully pour in the hot water and stir vigorously until a cohesive, warm dough forms.
Combine and Knead: Bring the shiratama dough and jyoshin dough together into one bowl. Knead them together thoroughly using your hands until smooth and uniform. The texture should feel soft and pliable, exactly like the consistency of an earlobe.
Color the Dough: Divide the unified dough into three equal portions. Knead the strawberry powder into the first portion until a uniform pink, and the matcha powder into the second portion until a uniform green. Leave the final portion plain white.
Shape: Roll each color portion into small, even balls about 2cm (1 inch) in diameter. You should get 11 balls of each color.
Boil: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Gently drop the rice balls into the water and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes.
Cool: Once the dango balls float to the surface, let them cook for an additional 60 seconds, then immediately transfer them with a slotted spoon into a bowl of ice-cold water to set the chewy texture.
Assemble: Thread one green ball, one white ball, and one pink ball onto each bamboo skewer in that exact order. Serve at room temperature.

Notes

Flour Substitution: If you cannot source Japanese Shiratamako and Jyoshinko, you can use Thai Erawan brand glutinous rice flour (green bag) as a 1:1 substitute for the total weight. If using this shortcut, skip separating the dough steps, mix all the flour and sugar together, and increase the water amount by 1-2 tablespoons as needed until it reaches an earlobe consistency.
Water Temperature: Do not skip using hot water for the jyoshinko dough. Because jyoshinko is non-glutinous, the heat is necessary to pre-gelatinize the starches so the center cooks evenly and stays tender.
Storage: Dango is best enjoyed fresh on the day it's made. Do not refrigerate it, as the cold temperatures will cause the rice starch to recrystallize and turn hard. If you have leftovers, wrap them tightly at room temperature and consume within 24 hours.

Nutrition