Mitsumame & Shiratama Dango Recipe

Do you know the Japanese summer dessert Mitsumame?

If you live in Japan you will but it is not easy to find this out side of Japan. I was lucky enough to be sent one by my Instagram friend and I decided to make some shiratama dango to go with it and serve if with fresh fruit and matcha ice cream.

Mitsumame is made with small cubes of agar jelly the jelly came with a piece of sliced peach,some Mikan orange  segments,a cherry,sweet red peas and a sachet of black syrup ( kuromitsu) to pour over. I added some sliced kiwi,banana and strawberry.

This really is a Japanese summer time treat and as I was eating this it transported my mind back to when I had a similar dessert ( Anmitsu) which is the same dessert with bean paste at the Tokyo Sky Tree Solamachi. The Mame in Mitsumame refers to the peas that are served instead.

If you would like to make Shiratama  dango for a simple Japanese summer time treat which you could serve with ice cream and anko this is all you need.

1/3 cup of sweet rice flour, 3 tablespoons of water and 1/4 teaspoon of unrefined granulated sugar. Just mix together to form a dough, roll into a log and break of small pieces to roll into balls. Press down on the balls slightly ( this will help them cook better inside) Drop the balls into boiling water and when they float to the top they are done. Scoop them out with a sieve and put into iced water. If you are not serving straight away they can be kept in ice water in the fridge but use them as soon as possible.