• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Sudachi Recipes
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Contact
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Contact
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Recipes
    • Contact
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Sweets

    Hanami Dango with Tofu (花見団子)

    Published: Mar 26, 2021 · Modified: Dec 6, 2021 by Yuto Omura

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe
    Share this recipe!
    Share on Facebook
    Facebook
    Pin on Pinterest
    Pinterest
    Share on Reddit
    Reddit
    Tweet about this on Twitter
    Twitter
    Share on Yummly
    Yummly

    Hanami Dango is a traditional Japanese rice dumpling typically enjoyed during the cherry blossom season. With an addictive, chewy texture and mildly sweet flavour, this iconic snack is the perfect way to celebrate the start of spring! Create your own hanami at home with this simple recipe!

    hanami dango on a plate with cherry blossoms and a cup of green tea

    Disclaimer: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. Sudachi Recipes earn a small percentage from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. See disclaimer for more info.

    DANGO

    WHAT IS "DANGO"?

    Dango are a type of sweet rice dumpling, usually served on a skewer. The dumplings are made from glutenous rice flour. Just like many Japanese desserts and snacks, they aren't overly sweet but they have a lovely "mochi mochi" chewy texture.

    Dango are well loved in Japan and have gained popularity all over the world through anime and manga. If you can't buy dango in your home country don't fear, they're actually very easy to make if you get the right ingredients!

    KINDS OF DANGO

    There are a number of different kinds of dango and some of them are eaten at special times of the year. Here are a few of the most popular kinds of dango.

    • Mitarashi Dango (みたらし団子) Simple plain rice dumplings that have been lightly charred and  coated in a sweet soy glaze, then served on a skewer.
    • Hanami Dango (花見団子) Sweetened tri-colored rice dumplings (pink, white and green) served on a skewer and associated with cherry blossom viewing and spring.
    • Anko Dango (餡子団子) Rice dumplings served on a skewer and covered in red bean paste.
    • Goma Dango (ごま団子) Chinese style deep fried rice dumpling covered in sesame seeds and filled with red bean paste.
    • Shiratama Dango (白玉団子) Small rice dumplings usually served in desserts such as anmitsu (traditional dessert made of agar agar jelly, red bean and fruits) or kakigori (shaved ice).
    • Tsukimi Dango (月見団子) A pyramid of 15 rice dumplings displayed during the Autumn full moon.
    mitarashi dango close up
    If you like the sound of rice dumplings with a sweet soy sauce glaze then check out my mitarashi dango recipe!

    Hanami Dango

    Today's recipe is for "hanami dango", also known as "sanshoku dango" (三色団子) or tri-coloured dango. It can be easily recognised by its iconic colours of pink, white and green. It definitely stands out compared to other dango, but did you know that these colors aren't a random coincidence?

    There are a few theories about the meanings of each colour.

    Pink, White, Green - Representing the Seasons

    Most stories go with the theory that each colour represents the seasons in some way. For example, pink represents cherry blossoms blooming in spring, white is winter's snow and green is the summer leaves.

    For some reason autumn isn't included. There's a play on words in Japanese "Aki ga nai" 秋がない which means "no autumn" and "(tabe)akinai" (食べ)飽きない which means never get bored of eating. In other words, hanami dango doesn't have autumn because you never get bored of eating it! It's kinda hard to explain...

    Some people say hanami dango represents spring alone. Again, pink is the cherry blossoms, white is the "shirozake" (white sake) often drank during "Hinamatsuri" (girl's day) and green is the Japanese mugwort called "yomogi" that grows in spring.

    The Order of Colours

    Another theory says that each colour represents a stage in the blooming process of cherry blossoms. Pink is like the cherry blossom bud, white represents the full bloom and green represents the leaves that show after the cherry blossoms have fallen. This theory also explains the order of the colours, pink is always at the top, white in the middle and green at the bottom.

    hanami dango held in front of cherry blossom tree

    Hanami

    Whatever the theory, it's a fact that hanami dango are particularly enjoyed in the spring, more specifically, during cherry blossom season.

    The word "hanami" (花見) means "flower viewing" and around March and April is when people love to have picnics and gather under the beautiful cherry blossoms in full bloom. There are usually food stands lined up along the trees so you can walk and eat delicious Japanese street food, it's a great experience!

    My city (Okazaki in Aichi prefecture) is home to one of the most beautiful cherry blossom spots in Japan, here's a picture I took there a few days ago!

    cherry blossoms at okazaki castle 2021

    What does Hanami Dango taste like?

    When you see three different colours, you'd assume that each colour holds a different flavour, right? Well actually, that's not necessarily true when it comes to hanami dango. The different colours are more for decoration.

    The taste of dango is just a simple, slightly sweetened rice dumpling. In fact, the white and pink parts are usually flavoured only with sugar. It might sound a bit boring, but dango is enjoyed more for the chewy, mochi texture.

    hanami dango with cherry blossoms and green tea

    Traditionally, the pink part would be coloured with red shiso leaves and the green part would be coloured using Japanese mugwort called "yomogi". Yomogi has a kinda earthy and herby taste and a hint of that flavour comes through in the green part. Yomogi was also used to ward off bad spirits and is still used in hanami dango these days. It's kinda hard to find outside Japan so I'll be using matcha in my recipe, it tastes nicer too in my opinion.

    Not many people use red shiso leaves to color the dango anymore. Pink is usually created with simple food colouring, but if you don't like using artificial colouring in your food, it's okay to use powdered strawberry or something instead.

    Ingredients for Dango

    Rice flours

    There are a few different flours that can be used for making dango, all of them are types of Japanese rice flours.

    • Shiratamako - Coarse granules of glutinous rice flour
    • Mochiko - Finely milled glutinous rice flour
    • Joshinko - Finely milled rice flour (not glutinous)
    • Dangoko - A mixture of rice flour and glutinous rice flour especially for making dango
    shiratamako and joshinko rice flours for making mochi and dango

    Dango is usually made using a combination of shiratamako and joshinko. (You can buy shiratamako and joshinko on Amazon.)

    Shiratamako has a good taste and texture, then joshinko makes the result more stretchy and chewy. You can make hanami dango with shiratamako alone, but the result won't be as chewy. (I find the sugar in hanami dango makes them a bit hard to so adding joshinko helps improve the texture.)

    You can also use mochiko and joshinko together but the texture will be a bit different, a bit more firm. Many people use mochiko instead of shiratamako because the result is quite similar and mochiko is cheaper. (Find mochiko on Amazon here.)

    dangoko dango flour made with uruchigome and mochiko

    As you can expect, dangoko is a mix of flours especially for making dango and there are usually instructions on the back that tell you what to do. The dangoko I bought is made from "uruchigome" and mochiko. Uruchigome is a type of rice flour that is not glutinous and is pretty similar to joshinko. Dangoko is usually mixed with water and can be microwaved, steamed, boiled etc depending on the brand. I tried it with tofu and the texture wasn't good so I don't recommend using dangoko for this recipe.

    Where to buy dango ingredients

    Even if you have a local Asian supermarket, Japanese glutinous rice flours can be hard to find. You can use the pictures above to ask a worker what you're looking for, but I'd say buying online is easiest. If you live in the U.K, I know they sell shiratamako in Japan Centre.

    Here are the links to buy shiratamako, joshinko or mochiko on Amazon. (Affiliate links)

    Silken Tofu

    If you've checked out my recipe for Mitarashi Dango, you won't be surprised that I'm mixing shiratamako and joshinko with silken tofu in this recipe! I really like the texture it produces and I can use the tofu for other dishes so there's no waste.

    holding up one hanami dango skewer

    Anyway, enough talking! Let's get started!

    Print
    clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
    hanami dango on a plate close up

    Hanami Dango with Tofu (花見団子)


    • Author: Yuto Omura
    • Total Time: 30 minutes
    • Yield: 6 dango 1x
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Description

    How to make beautiful tri-color sweet rice dumplings "Hanami Dango". (Makes 6 dango)


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 6 bamboo skewers
    • 100g "Shiratamako" glutinous rice flour (or mochiko)
    • 20g "Joshinko" rice flour
    • 45g Granulated sugar
    • 120g Silken tofu
    • ¼ tsp Matcha powder
    • 1 drop red or pink food coloring
    • 1 drop strawberry/cherry blossom extract (optional)
    • Water for boiling
    • Bowl of ice water

    Instructions

    1. Take 6 medium sized bamboo skewers and leave them to soak in a glass of water. (This makes the dango easier to slide on later on.)
      soaking bamboo skewers
    2. Add 100g shiratamako, 20g joshinko and 45g granulated sugar to a bowl and mix dry until well incorporated.
      Mixing dry ingredients to make hanami dango
    3. Add 120g silken tofu to the bowl gradually one third at a time.
      adding tofu to hanami dango mixture
    4. Mix it using a rubber spatula until the texture resembles scrambled eggs.
      mixing the tofu into hanami dango mixture until the texture resembles scrambled eggs
    5. Knead into a smooth dough, the texture should feel a bit like play dough.
      knead the hanami dango dough until the texture is smooth and feels like play dough
    6. Start heating water in a pot and bring it to the boil.
      boiling water
    7. Divide the dough into 3 parts.
      cutting the hanami dango dough into thirds
    8. Divide one of the thirds into 6 pieces (approx 15g each) and roll them into balls as it is to make the white parts of the dango.
      measuring each ball for hanami dango
    9. Take another third, add ¼ tsp matcha powder and knead until the colour is distributed through the dough. Roll into 6 15g balls.
      rolling the hanami dango coloured with matcha powder
    10. Wash your hands and add 1 drop of pink or red food colouring to the final third. Knead until the dough is evenly pink all the way through and then roll into 6 15g balls.
      kneading the dough until it's evenly pink all the way through
    11. Once the water is boiling you can add the dango balls. Boil each colour separately to prevent colours from running. Start by carefully adding the white balls to the water and gently mix them to stop them sticking to the bottom of the pot. 
      gently mixing the dango to stop them sticking to the bottom of the pot
    12. Boil them until the balls float to the top (approximately 5-7 minutes) and then set a timer for 2 minutes. 
      Green dango floating in the pot
    13. While the dango is boiling, prepare a bowl of ice cold water.
    14. Once 2 minutes are up, transfer the dango to the ice cold water to stop the cooking process. 
      add the cooked dango to a bowl of ice water
    15. Repeat the step 10 and 12 for the pink dango next, and green last. (You can use the same ice water for all the dango. Top up the water if needed.)
      adding the cooked dango to a bowl of ice cold water
    16. Once the dango balls are cooled down, push them onto the skewers. Start with green, then white and lastly pink. So your dango should have green at the bottom and pink at the top. 
      pushing the skewer through the dango, green on the bottom, white middle and pink top
    17. Eat on the day for best texture.
      holding up one hanami dango skewer
    18. Enjoy!

    Notes

    If you don't want to use pink/red food colouring for your dango, you can use crushed dry strawberries or 1-2 drops beetroot juice.

    Note: If you use mochiko instead of shiratamako, the texture is slightly firmer/less chewy.

    Best eaten the same day.

    If you want to eat it the next day, wrap it in baking parchment and store in an air tight container at room temperature. (Don't store in the fridge as they will go hard.)

    Can be frozen for up to one month. Thaw for 30 mins to 1 hour at room temperature and enjoy!

    • Prep Time: 10 minutes
    • Cook Time: 20 minutes
    • Category: Sweets
    • Method: Boiling
    • Cuisine: Japanese

    Keywords: hanami dango, hanami dango recipe, how to make hanami dango, tofu hanami dango, easy hanami dango, tri-color dango, sanshoku dango, sakura, hanami, dango ingredients, what does dango taste like,hanami dango flavour,

    Did you try this recipe?

    Comment below or show us on Instagram!

    @sudachi.recipes     #sudachirecipes

    Share this recipe!
    Share on Facebook
    Facebook
    Pin on Pinterest
    Pinterest
    Share on Reddit
    Reddit
    Tweet about this on Twitter
    Twitter
    Share on Yummly
    Yummly
    « "Buta Kimuchi Itame" Pork and Kimchi Stir Fry (豚キムチ)
    Chaliapin Steak Don (Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma Recreation Recipe) »

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    Primary Sidebar

    Konnichiwa!

    Thanks for visiting Sudachi Recipes. My name is Yuto and I'm a Japanese guy with a passion for food. Here I share tasty and accessible recipes so that you can bring a taste of Japan to your own kitchen.

    More about me →

    Follow Us


    Search by Category

    • Noodles
    • Rice
    • Meat
    • Fish and Seafood
    • Vegetable
    • Sweets
    see all categories

    New Recipes

    • Tamago kake gohan 101: everything you need to know about TKG
    • Duck Soba Noodle Soup (Kamo Nanban Soba)
    • Harusame salad (Chuka style glass noodle salad)
    • Black Sesame Ice Cream (黒ゴマのアイスクリーム)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Sudachi Recipes

    • About Us
    • Recipes
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer

    Newsletter

    • Coming soon

    Social Media

    • Contact Us
    • Youtube Channel
    • Instagram
    • Tiktok
    • Facebook

    Copyright © 2021 Sudachi Recipes