Matcha Dango
Oh boy. I haven’t updated this side of the blog for a while, but happy 2020! This year’s my favorite year; 20 not only is my favorite number, but it sounds the best. Also…this is the year I’ll be getting married, the year I’m really focusing on goals of thriving in my career + family health (+ personal health?) Seriously, screw what they say about us all having work/life balance…. my work of design and food is my life. Some say that new years resolutions are pointless, but I think they’re worth a shot to be better. My resolution? To blog more (oh 2018 was plentiful and 2019 was embarressingly sparce)
I can’t help but express the gratitude I have in working for this food distribution company; I’m learning so much particularly about wine since I’ve been working on a wine inventory app and website… and I’m surrounded by a family of food connoisseurs (and some previous chefs) that cheer me through my pursuit of food blogging.
There’s something so divine from mixing matcha powder you haven’t touched in half a year with dangoko powder and sweet water, boiling the mochi balls, and glazing the tops of it with a mix you’ve wondered with a friend’s yuzu syrup + soy sauce.
Throughout this month, I’ve totally reminisced about celebrating New Years in Japan – osechi and dango with great coworkers and friends like Miyasaka-san. Since the last time I celebrated New Years in Japan was 2+ years ago, Japan is strangely so visceral to me – but I am able to enjoy it and not completely forget my Japanese thanks to Line + keeping in touch with my coworkers.
And oh- not sure if you’ve noticed but my diagramming process has changed. I’ve no longer been starting my diagrams in AutoCAD; but I’ve been going straight into illustrator and tweaking lines to train myself to be a better illustrator. This too is bittersweet, but there is always a time for creating new ideas and reinventing oneself.
MATCHA DANGO
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 C Dangoko*
- 1 tsp matcha powder
- 1 C water
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 C sugar
Special Equipment
Directions
Mix the dangoko with 1 tbsp matcha powder and 1/4 C sugar
Slowly mix in water in a large mixing bowl until well incorporated.
Add the water gradually, mixing well until the mixture takes on the consistency of an earlobe.
Divide the dough into 2 balls, then each of those into 4’s to get a total of 8 balls, then divide each ball into 2’s so you have a total of 16. If the dough begins to crack or is difficult to mold, then slightly damp your hands with water.
If you’d like to fill these mochi balls with black sesame, mix together 1/4 tsp of honey with black sesame and fill in each ball with it in the center.
Prepare a pot to boil and gently drop each ball to boil with a continuous motion. Stir the balls occasionally so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
Once they begin floating, gently transfer each mochi ball to a strainer/coriander.
Once cooled, carefully thread three mochi balls through a skewer.
