Shiratama Dango balls are one of traditional Japanese sweets/snacks, and these are tasty!
These have a nice sticky texture, but they are not as sticky as mochi.
I made regular (white) and Matcha (green) balls.
This time I enjoyed them with molasses and Kinako (roasted soy beans) powder.
This is one of the traditional ways to eat shiratama dango balls.
We use “kuro-mitsu” (or black sugar syrup) in Japan, and I think molasses is probably the closest to it.
Kinako powder has become one of my favorite things lately, and I had to bring a bag home from Japan last month.
It’s interesting that most traditional Japanese sweets are vegan and they do not contain any dairy products.
That’s probably because dairy was not a big business in Japan for many many years.
Then at the same time I realize there are so many delicious and satisfying non-dairy desserts to enjoy!
To make these Shiratama Dango balls I used “Shiratama” flour.
I added water to the flour (follow the directions on the “Shiratama” flour package), formed balls, cooked them in boiling water for a minute, and then cooled them in ice water.
I found the flour in the Japanese food section inside a large Asian grocery store in Minneapolis, but I’ve heard that you can also use “glutinous rice flour”.
