This is the Kawamitsu Yomogi Shiratamako. It’s glutinous rice flour with added yomogi.
Yomogi — also known as Korean mugwort — is related to the sunflower family and the young leaves of the plant are often lightly boiled before being pounded and added to dango to give a pleasant colour, aroma and flavour. This yomogi shiratamako is tinged the palest of greens.
The dango are prepared using a ratio of 1 part shiratamako to 0.95 parts water. To get a bouncy texture, add just enough water to bind. Fifty grams of powder makes 10 dango each about 2 cm in diameter
The formed dango are cooked in a pot of water at a rolling boil until they plump up, turn a deep green colour and float to the surface, at which point they are transferred to an ice bath for 5 minutes.
Whereas typical dango has only the flavour of rice flour and rely on toppings for flavour, here the yomogi not only gave the dango a beautiful deep green colour but also a subtle herbal quality that allows the dango to carry itself with just a touch of kuromitsu for sweetness while retaining the addictive bounce of regular dango. These were easy to prepare hit the mochi mochi spot.
This Kawamitsu Yomogi Shiratamako contained 200 g. It was produced in Japan and purchased in Sydney, Australia in 2021.