Dango is a Japanese dumpling made from rice powder. It is sticky and filling. Some popular flavors are An (bean jam), Mitarashi (syrup made from soy sauce and sugar), Kinako (soybean powder), Nori (laver), Goma (ground sesame). It is often served with green tea.

Dango is eaten in all seasons. Three to four Dango are often served on a skewer. In Hokkaido, Dango made from potatos exists. This type is baked with soy sauce.

In 1999, Dango became a boom in Japan. A song entitled "Dango-san-kyoudai" (three brothers of Dango) was released and a craze for eating Dango developed at that time.

Different Types

An: Very sweet. An-Dango is the most popular flavor in Japan.

Mitarashi: Popular with children.

Kinako: Recently Kinako has been identified as a healthy food.

Nori: Japanese eat Nori in daily life. Usually they eat it with rice, but they also use it with Dango.

Goma: Goma is also remarked as a healthy food. It is both sweet and salty.