today is chinese mid-autumn and chuseok (korean thanksgiving day). i wanted to make songpyeon initially, a kind of crescent shaped korean rice cake which also has three colors but i didn't hv any pine needles so i decided to make these instead. though its not exactly a suitable time since hanami dango is made during the cherry blossom viewing season in spring where its a big event and widely celebrated in japan, i'm still glad i made these coz they're really quite good.

i think to be able to find a hanami dango recipe online is pretty rare coz i've only seen just one out there. tastewise i really like the texture of the dango. they're made with an equal mixture of joshinko (non-glutinous rice flour), mochiko (glutinous rice flour) and corn starch so unlike mochi, these are firmer and more chewy. they are also quite sweet eaten on their own but with a cup of hot green tea, they're perfect.