Skewered dumplings made with rice flour and glutinous rice flour, Hanami Dango are popular snacks enjoyed during cherry blossom viewing in Japan. These chewy dumplings in three colors (sanshoku dango) come in pink, white, and green springtime hues. With just a touch of sweetness, this traditional Japanese confectionery announces the arrival of spring.
As spring approaches, Japan turns into a shade of pink. It is a time of renewal of life and beauty, and we celebrate this turn of the season with cherry blossom viewing (or Hanami in Japanese). A tradition that dated back as early as the 8th century.
During the cherry blossom viewing, the Japanese also enjoy different types of wagashi (traditional confectionery) including Hanami Dango (花見団子).
Table of contents
- What is Hanami Dango?
- Why Pink, White, and Green Colors?
- History of Hanami Dango
- How to Make Hamami Dango
- Japanese Short-Grain Rice Flour and Glutinous Rice Flour
- Use Bamboo Skewers for Dumplings
- To Color the Dumplings in Pink and Green
- How to Enjoy Hanami Dango
- Japanese Expression “Hana Yori Dango”
- Other Delicious Japanese Sweets
What is Hanami Dango?
Hanami (花見) means flower viewing (of cherry blossom), and during this season, many people go out for strolls through the magnificent columns of the flowering trees.
The Japanese have long celebrated and admired the beauty of cherry blossoms by having picnics beneath the blooms. At the picnics, we enjoy spring-themed foods in bento and wagashi which often incorporate seasonal flavors.
One of the popular sweets you can find at pop-up food stalls during the cherry blossom season is hanami dango (花見団子). Dango is skewered sweet dumplings made with rice flour and glutinous rice flour. The dumplings come in pink, white, and green springtime hues, so they are also called sanshoku dango (三色団子).
Why Pink, White, and Green Colors?
There are a few theories on why the hanami dango is skewered in a particular order of pink, white, and green from the top. Here are two popular theories:
- The life cycle of cherry blossoms: Pink buds, white flowers, and then green leaves.
- The scenery of the spring arrival: Red sun or pink cherry blossoms, leftover snow, and yomogi (mugwort) or green sprouts beneath the snow.
Which theory do you think is correct? They both sound good to me as the hanami dango brings happiness in the spring season.
History of Hanami Dango
The history of hanami dango overlaps with the history of cherry blossom viewing.
The ritual started to emerge when Toyotomi Hideyoshi served his guests hanami dango as a tea confectionery at the cherry blossom viewing party called Daigo no Hanami, which was held at Daigoji Temple in Kyoto on March 15, 1833.
Until then, cherry blossom viewing was not a party where people enjoyed food and drink, but more like an aristocratic pastime composing songs and enjoying dances and music. From this point on, the custom of eating and drinking while admiring the blossoms became widespread among the common people, and hanami dango came to be an indispensable Japanese confectionery for cherry blossom viewing.
How to Make Hamami Dango
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Joshinko (上新粉) – Japanese short-grain rice flour
- Shiratamako (白玉粉) – Japanese short-grain glutinous rice flour, also known as sweet rice flour
- Sugar – I use granulated sugar
- Red food coloring – I use powder kind, but you can use gel
- Matcha (green tea powder) or yomogi (mugwort)
Overview: Cooking Steps
- Mix together the joshinko, shiratamako, and sugar in a bowl.
- Gradually add the measured boiling water and mix until well combined.
- Divide the dough into thirds. Then, color one dango ball with a little bit of red food coloring and the next one with matcha (or yomogi). Keep the last one plain.
- Divide each dough into 6 equal pieces and shape them into a nice, round ball.
- Cook the dumplings (dango) in boiling water. Then, skewer the dumplings onto a bamboo skewer. Serve immediately.
Japanese Short-Grain Rice Flour and Glutinous Rice Flour
In this section, we’ll talk about four different types of Japanese short-grain rice flour and glutinous rice flour.
- Joshinko
- Shiratamako
- Mochiko
- Dangoko
Joshinko and Shiratamako
Dango (だんご, 団子) is traditionally made with joshinko (上新粉) or short-grain rice flour, which is made of uruchimai (うるち米). This is why dango and mochi are different. Mochi is made with glutinous rice or glutinous rice flour, which is made of mochigome (もち米).
I find dango made only with joshinko a bit too chewy and tough. So when I make dango at home, I always mix rice flour and glutinous rice flour.
To achieve the perfect texture for dango, the sweet dumplings, you need to mix two types of rice flour:
- Johshinko (上新粉) – The flour made from Japanese short-grain rice (uruchimai うるち米).
- Shiratamako (白玉粉) – The flour made from Japanese short-grain glutinous rice (mochigome もち米). Even though it’s called “flour,” it’s more like coarse granules.
My recommendation is an equal proportion: 50% rice flour and 50% glutinous rice flour. The combination will give you a bouncy, chewy texture, but it won’t be too sticky like mochi. If you prefer a softer, mochi-like texture, you can do 40% rice flour and 60% glutinous rice flour.
Please remember that both rice flour and glutinous rice flour are made from Japanese short-grain rice. The glutinous rice flour you find in Asian grocery stores is made from long-grain rice. The texture and flavor are quite different. Our readers have told us that they don’t yield the same result. So please be aware of it.
Where to Buy These Flours
Both joshinko and shiratamako can be found at a well-stock Japanese grocery store, but Amazon also sells them.
Mochiko
The best substitute for shiratamako would be mochiko as this product is widely available here in the U.S. You can buy it on Amazon or even in American grocery stores.
Although shiratamako and mochiko are both “glutinous rice flour,” mochi made with these two flours is slightly different, especially in texture and flavor.
Mochi made with shiratamako has a very smooth, more refined, and chewy/bouncy texture while mochi made with mochiko is soft and elastic and tastes a bit bland.
My personal preference is shiratamako because it’s much easier to make delicious mochi, with a much better texture and flavor.
Dangoko (Dango Flour)
At the Japanese grocery store, you may find another type of flour called dangoko (団子粉). This is a combination of rice flour and glutinous rice flour and the ratio is unknown; up to the manufacturer.
If you have trouble finding joshinko and shiratamako, this is a great alternative. However, in my opinion, the texture is firmer, which I assume it’s the result of more rice flour ratio than glutinous rice flour.
Use Bamboo Skewers for Dumplings
You will need 6-inch (15 cm) bamboo skewers. If you already have longer skewers at home, you can trim them down to 6-inch pieces.
I personally prefer to use simple skewers, and not ones with a paddle as the skewers are a square shape instead of a round shape.
To Color the Dumplings in Pink and Green
The Pink Dumplings
Traditionally the pink dumplings were colored using purple shiso (赤紫蘇), salt-pickled cherry blossoms, or fruit of cape jasmine (kuchinashi クチナシ). These natural food coloring options can be harder to access outside of Japan.
So for this recipe, I like using powdered food coloring as I can have a better control when I add it to the food. I used this powdered food coloring I bought from Amazon.
If you prefer natural food coloring, I recommend using beet juice or ground freeze-dried strawberry/raspberry to dye the dumplings pink.
The Green Dumplings
The green dumplings are flavored and colored traditionally with yomogi or mugwort in Japan. It’s probably hard to find yomogi outside of Japan but you can purchase this yomogiko (mugwort powder) on Amazon US.
For this recipe, I used matcha powder (green tea powder) so it’s much easier to make.
My favorite tea shop, Ippodo Tea from Kyoto, sells matcha you can get on Amazon.
How to Enjoy Hanami Dango
Hanami dango is enjoyed by itself without any toppings or sauce. If you had never tried this Japanese traditional sweet, you may find it a bit bland.
If preferred, you can enjoy these dumplings with anko (sweet red bean paste).
Japanese Expression “Hana Yori Dango”
“Hana yori dango” (花より団子) or “dumplings over flowers” is a Japanese expression or proverb. It is used for someone who values practicality and substance over refinement and appearance.
Are you the person who comes to see cherry blossoms and is more interested in eating hanami dango than in admiring flowers?
Tableware from Musubi Kiln
I’ve partnered with a great ceramic online shop from Japan called Musubi Kiln. You will get 10% off with a coupon code JUSTONECOOKBOOK for your purchase. In this post, I’ve used:
- Ichikawa Wood Craft Cloud Shaped Wooden Tray
- Chrysanthemum Usuki Round Plate
- White Chrysanthemum Hasami Plate 5.8in
Other Delicious Japanese Sweets
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Hanami Dango
Video
Ingredients
For the Dumplings Using Joshinko and Shiratamako
- ⅔ cup joshinko (Japanese rice flour) (上新粉; this is short-grain rice flour, different from other Asian varieties; you can buy it from Amazon)
- ¾ cup shiratamako (glutinous rice flour/sweet rice flour) (白玉粉; this is short-grain glutinous rice flour, different from other Asian varieties; you can buy it from Amazon; you can substitute with mochiko)
- ⅓ cup sugar (the sugar helps the dango stay softer and gives it a mild, subtle sweetness)
- ⅔ cup boiling water (joshinko requires boiling water; we will not use the entire amount)
For Coloring the Dumplings
- ¼ tsp matcha (green tea powder) (I love and use matcha from Ippodo)
- red food coloring (I use this powdered food coloring; if you prefer to use a natural ingredient, crush freeze-dried strawberries/raspberries)
For the Dumplings Using Dangoko (Optional)
- 7 oz dangoko (Japanese rice dumpling flour) (団子粉; you can find it at Japanese grocery stores)
- ⅔ cup water (we will not use the entire amount)
For the Yomogi Dango Version (Optional)
- 1 Tbsp yomogi (mugwort) (you can buy it on Amazon)
- 2 Tbsp hot water
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. Soak the 6-inch (15-cm) bamboo skewers in water. You can start boiling a large pot of water on low heat. Once boiling, keep it on low heat.
To Make the Dough
- Combine ⅔ cup joshinko (Japanese rice flour), ¾ cup shiratamako (glutinous rice flour/sweet rice flour), and ⅓ cup sugar (or 7 oz dangoko (Japanese rice dumpling flour) and ⅓ cup sugar) in a large bowl.
- Using chopsticks, mix it all together until well blended. Next, add in ⅔ cup boiling water (or ⅔ cup water (cold) for the dangoko) a little bit at a time while mixing with chopsticks. Please note: You may not need to use the entire measured amount of hot water. If you add too much water, your dough will be too soft.
- The flours will start to stick together and eventually form clumps. When your dough reaches this stage, stop adding the water.
- Using your hands, combine the dough into one ball.
- Knead by hand until the dough becomes smooth. If needed, add a tiny bit of hot water to pick up any residue in the bowl (I did not use all the measured hot water).
- The texture of the finished dough should feel similar to an earlobe. The "texture of an earlobe" is such a funny description, but that’s how we check the consistency in Japan. The dough shouldn‘t be too soft. It‘s slightly on the dry side. Tip: If you add too much water, your dough will be too soft. If that happens, add more joshinko.
- Using a kitchen scale, weigh the dough. Using a bench scraper or knife, divide it into thirds. Put two of the pieces in separate bowls.
To Color the Dough
- To make the green dough, add ¼ tsp matcha (green tea powder) to the dough in one of the bowls. Using a silicone spatula (or your hand), mix the matcha into the dough until well blended.
- If you want to adjust the color, add a very small amount. Make sure all the powder is incorporated and check the color before you add more matcha.
- For the pink dough, add a very tiny bit of red food coloring powder to the dough in the other bowl. I used a toothpick to pick up the coloring powder and you can see from the image how little I scooped. With a different (clean) silicone spatula, mix the food coloring into the dough until well blended. Tip: Don’t add too much food coloring or the color will be too strong and intense; you want it to be a soft, pale, pastel pink.
- You can see that I added slightly more red food coloring to get the right shade of pink. Tip: If the dough is getting too dry, dip your spatula in water and mix the dough (instead of drizzling water into the dough).
To Form the Dumplings
- Take the white dough and roll it into a cylinder. Using the bench scraper or knife, divide the dough into 6 equal pieces.
- Roll a piece of white dough between your hands into a smooth, round ball. Tip: If the dough is cracking or wrinkled, dip the tip of your finger in water and apply a small amount to the cracked area to smooth it out.
- When you are done making a nice ball shape, continue with the rest of the dough pieces.
- Next, take the green dough and roll it into a cylinder. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces.
- Roll a piece of green dough between your hands into a smooth, round ball. Continue with the rest of the dough pieces.
- Finally, take the pink dough and roll it into a cylinder. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces.
- Roll a piece of the pink dough between your hands into a smooth, round ball. Continue with the rest of the dough pieces.
- Now, the dumplings are ready to boil.
To Cook the Dumplings
- Prepare a bowl of iced water just before cooking the dumplings. First, we will cook the light-colored white and pink dumplings. Once the water in the pot is boiling, quickly re-roll each white or pink dumpling into a nice, round ball before you gently drop them into the pot. Stir the balls occasionally so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Cook the dumplings until they start floating, about 7–8 minutes. The dumplings will stay near the bottom of the pot at first, but they will float once they are cooked. When they rise to the top, boil them for an additional 1 minute.
- Remove the white and pink dumplings from the pot and immediately place them in iced water for 15–30 seconds so they stop cooking and are cool enough to handle. Then, drain them well and transfer to a plate or tray moistened with water. Tip: Don‘t keep the dumplings too long in the iced water or they will get hard. Also, wet the plate or tray so the dumplings don‘t stick.
- Next, work on the green dumplings and repeat the same process. As you see, the boiling water changes color, so I recommend starting with the light-colored white and pink dumplings; don‘t cook all three colors at the same time.
- Remove the cooked green dumplings from the pot and immediately place them in iced water for 15–30 seconds to stop the cooking and cool slightly. Then, transfer to a plate moistened with water.
To Assemble the Hanami Dango
- Thread one dumpling of each color onto a skewer. Start with the green dumpling first, then a white dumpling next, and finish with a pink dumpling at the tip. For an ideal presentation, keep the tip of the skewer hidden within the pink dumpling. Continue with the rest of the skewers and set aside. Tip: If your hands get sticky from handling the moist dumplings, you can wash the starch off your hands from time to time.
To Serve
- Serve the Hanami Dango at room temperature. Since the Hanami Dango is rather mild tasting with just a touch of subtle sweetness, I sometimes serve it with sweet red bean paste (optional) on the side.
To Store
- Option 1: After you form the dough into round dumplings, you can store the uncooked dumplings in a single layer in an airtight container and freeze up to a month. When you use them, boil the frozen dango without defrosting.
- Option 2: After boiling and cooling the dumplings, pat them dry and pack them so they don't touch each other into an airtight container. Freeze for up to a month. When you use them, microwave or boil until they are warm.
- Option 3: Put the leftovers in an airtight container and keep at room temperature for up to 2 days. If you live in a hot climate, find a cool place to store it, but not in the refrigerator as the dango will become too tough. Enjoy it within 24–36 hours.
For the Optional Yomogi Dango Version
- To color the green dough using the more traditional yomogi dango version, use yomogi powder.
- Combine 1 Tbsp yomogi (mugwort) and 2 Tbsp hot water in a bowl and mix well together.
- Set aside for 5 minutes. Then, strain the yomogi using a fine-mesh strainer. Discard the liquid.
- Add the yomogi to the dough and knead well to combine.
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on March 21, 2017. The post has been updated with the revised recipe and new blog content and images on March 12, 2023.
Hi Nami. You are most definitely my number one site for Japanese cooking and I have tried probably 20 of your recipes, always with success so far, so I very much appreciate you but just wanted to comment that I think maybe the 1833 reference for Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s party might be a little out. I plan to have a crack at these as soon as I next get out to my nearest atari-ya to get the rice flours.
Hi Richard, Thank you for reading Nami’s post and for your input!
It might be hard to believe, yet many resources mention this in Japanese. It’s one of the theories. 😉
https://www.educe-shokuiku.jp/news/shokuiku/dango/
We hope you enjoy making and tasting Hanamidango!🍡