Hanami Dango (Three Colored Dumplings)

Hanami dango are the perfect little treat to capture the essence of spring and celebrate the season’s arrival! These tri-colored rice dumplings are deliciously sweet with a chewy texture just like mochi. Hanami dango are often eaten during the tradition of cherry blossom viewing in Japan but are a popular snack all year round. Prepare this cute and iconic Japanese dessert easily at home with this recipe!

What is Hanami Dango?

Hanami dango, also known as sanshoku (three colour) dango, is a traditional Japanese sweet typically made to celebrate the arrival of spring in Japan. It’s made from three different coloured rice dumplings (dango) skewered on a bamboo stick. The dango are coloured in pink, white, and green to representing the changing seasons through the flowers which bloom in spring (pink), the pure colour of snow (white), and the beauty of new growth (green). The dango are called ‘hanami’ because they are often eaten during ‘hanami’ which is the practice of viewing the bloom of the sakura flowers during the cherry blossom season festival. 

The dango are made rice flour, either shiratamako, joshinko or mochiko, and sugar and water. They have a bouncy chewy texture similar to mochi and a sweet taste. The white dango is just made from sweet rice flour. The soft pink dango is made by adding red food colouring and can be flavoured with sakura (cherry blossom) powder. The green dango can be made with matcha green tea powder or yomogi (mugwort). Although the dango are made for the hanami season, they’re a popular snack to eat any time of year.

Ingredients Required to Make Hanami Dango

Joshinko (rice flour)

Joshinko is a key ingredient in making hanami dango. It’s a type of non-glutinous rice flour that’s finely milled from short-grain Japanese rice. Joshinko provides a smooth, less sticky texture to the dango compared to glutinous rice flour (mochiko or shiratamako). This helps create the perfect balance of chewiness and softness in the dumplings.

Shiratamako (glutinous rice flour)

Shiratamako is a type of glutinous rice flour, also known as sweet rice flour or mochiko. It’s made from mochigome, a short-grain japonica glutinous rice. Shiratamako is responsible for the signature chewy, sticky texture that’s characteristic of hanami dango. It gives the dumplings their soft and bouncy consistency. f you can not get shiratamako, this ingredient can be substituted with Mochiko.

Sugar

sugar adds sweetness to the dango because hanami dango are meant to be sweet.

Water

Water is essential for hydrating the rice flours (joshinko and shiratamako) to create a dough that can be shaped into round dumplings. The right amount of water helps achieve the proper consistency of the dango dough. Too little water results in a dry, crumbly dough, while too much can make it sticky and difficult to handle.

Flavoring and coloring

To create the traditional tri-color appearance.
– For pink: You can use food coloring or natural alternatives like sakura powder. 

– For green: Matcha powder or yomogi is commonly used.

Ingredients Substitutions and Variations

Rice Flour Substitutions

Due to the nature of each flour, if you replace it completely, you won’t get the same texture. If don’t mind the difference in texture, you can try making dango with Mochiko only if joshinko or shiratamako are not accessible in your country.

Sugar Alternatives

Replace white sugar with coconut sugar or brown sugar for a deeper flavor.
For a lower-calorie option, try using stevia or monk fruit sweetener.

Water

What I often like to do is to use tofu instead of water because I think tofu adds a bouncy texture to the dango and I prefer that “mochi mochi” texture. It also adds extra protein and nutrition. Silken tofu is typically used for this substitution because it has a smooth and creamy texture and high water content.

Colouring

For the green dango, yomogi powder is typically used but this can be difficult to get outside of Japan so instead you can use matcha powder or green food colouring. For the pink dango colour, sakura powder might also be difficult to access so it can be substituted with strawberry powder, beetroot juice, or food colouring.

How to Make Hanami Dango Step by Step

1. Prepare the Dough:

1. In a large bowl, mix joshinko, shiratamako, and sugar.
2. Gradually add warm water, stirring until it comes together to form a dough.

2. Divide and Color the Dough:

1. Divide the dough into three equal portions.
2. Leave one portion white.
3. Add sakura powder and/or red food colouring to one portion and knead until it turns and evenly colored light pink.
4. Add matcha powder or yomogi powder or green food colouring to the last portion and knead until green.

3. Shape the Dango:

1. Divide each colored dough into 5-6 small pieces.
2. Roll each ball of dough (green, pink, and white) into 6 uniform-sized balls.

4. Cook the Dango:

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil.
2. Gently drop the dango balls into the boiling water.
3. Once the dango floats to the surface of the water, leave them cooking for a few minutes more.
4. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in cold water to stop the cooking process.

5. Assemble the Hanami Dango:

1. Thread three dango balls (one of each color) onto a skewer.
2. Traditionally, the order is pink, white, then green from top to bottom. Repeat until all the dango are skewered.

6. Serve:

Enjoy your hanami dango!

Serving Suggestions

Traditional Hanami Style:

Serve the colorful dango on a plate alongside a cup of green tea for the traditional way to serve the dango. This classic pairing is perfect for enjoying under cherry blossoms during hanami season.

Dessert Platter:

Arrange the dango skewers on a large platter with other Japanese sweets like mochi, dorayaki, daifuku and other wagashi. Add some fresh fruit slices for a beautiful and varied dessert spread.

Tea Time Treat:

Eat the dango with Japanese teas like sencha, hojicha, matcha, or mugicha. The sweetness of the dango complements the slight bitterness of the tea wonderfully.

Ice Cream Pairing:

Serve slightly chilled dango alongside a scoop of matcha or vanilla ice cream. The contrast in temperatures and textures creates an interesting dessert.

Japanese-style Dessert Bowl:

Create a dessert bowl by serving the dango skewers with sweet red bean paste (anko) on the top or on the side.

How to Store

You can store any leftover cooked dumplings in the freezer. Dango will keep for a few months in the freezer. Scatter the balls onto a flat container or plate lined with plastic wrap. Make sure that each dango ball doesn’t touch each other to avoid them sticking. Cover with another sheet of plastic wrap and leave it in the freezer. When the balls are frozen, put them in a ziplock bag and return them to the freezer.