Dango (団子) is a Japanese dumpling made with regular rice flour and glutinous rice flour. They are usually made in round shapes, and three to five pieces are served on a skewer, which is called kushi-dango (串団子). The pieces are eaten with sugar, syrup, red bean paste, and other sweeteners. Generally, dango falls under the category of wagashi (Japanese confectionery), and is often served with green tea. It is eaten year-round, but the different varieties are traditionally eaten in given seasons. Dango is sometimes compared with mochi, but is different in that mochi is generally made only with glutinous rice. A popular type of dango, the hanami dango, has been made into a Unicode emoji (🍡).

Types

The many different varieties of dango are usually named after the various seasonings served on or with it.

Popular dango

Various other dango

Derived terms

A common Japanese proverb "hana yori dango" (花より団子) refers to a preference for practical things rather than aesthetics. A hairstyle consisting of dango-like buns on either side of the head is sometimes known as odango. Dorodango is a Japanese art form in which earth and water are molded to create a delicate, shiny sphere, resembling a billiard ball.

In Vietnam

Bánh hòn is a specialty dessert of Phan Thiet. The cake is made from tapioca flour, coconut, roasted peanuts, salt and sugar. When finished, it is rolled over shredded coconut and skewered like Japanese dango.

Unicode character

The Unicode emoji character 🍡 is used to resemble hanami dango. The character was introduced in October 2010.