Japanese Local Cuisine Reproduction Series ⑫: Shiga Prefecture: Oaedango

Shiga Prefecture, which is familiar with Lake Biwa, is full of delicious things such as fresh fish, nationally famous Omi beef, vegetables and fruits.
This time, we would like to introduce you to Shiga's local cuisine, "Oaedango" (おあえ団子). This is a dumpling (dango) dish made with ingredients such as tofu, green vegetables, and rice flour. You can enjoy the mellowness of tofu and vegetables together with the flavor of seasonings such as miso.

What's more, it's a healthy and delicious dish that uses plenty of vegetables. Be sure to read the recipe below and try making one!

Before introducing the recipe, let's first learn about Oaedango of Shiga Prefecture!

What is a Japanese local cuisine?

Local cuisine (郷土料理 / Kyodo-ryouri) refers to dishes suitable for the climate that have been eaten in a local area for many years by using regional products. Many of them are comfort food and are popular among Japanese for domestic gourmet trips.

About Oaedango

Oaedango is a local dish that has been handed down from ancient times in the Moriyama and Yasu regions of Shiga Prefecture. Tofu, shiitake mushrooms, green vegetables, carrots, and other ingredients are mixed together and seasoned as 'shiraae' (白和え - white dressing) with rice flour dumplings (団子 / dango). Oaedango dumplings, which mix tofu and vegetables in a white sesame sauce and are mixed with rice flour balls, are a dish mainly eaten throughout the year. They can be seenn during Buddhist memorial services, but are also consumed as a daily meal.

In addition, the menu made by mixing dango with misoae (味噌和え - miso dressing) using green vegetables are called "kuki dango" (くき団子).

And that is the end of the explanation of Shiga's Oaedango. Let's take a look at how to make Oaedango!

Here is the video (with cc subtitles)👇👇👇

Ingredients for Oaedango (for 2 servings)

• Rice flour…50g
  
• Mochiko flour…50g
• Carrot…25g
• Firm tofu…150g
• Miso…25g
• Japanese mustard spinach...1.5 small bundles
• Shiitake mushrooms ... 1 piece
• Water…90ml
• Sesame…10g
• Mirin…7g
• Sugar…25g

How to make Oaedango

1. Add water to rice flour and mochiko flour and knead well until it becomes as hard as an earlobe.
2. Roll into a round disk shape of about 3 cm, then boil in boiling water. When the dango dumplings float to the surface, cool them down, and the rice flour dango is complete.
3. Drain the tofu and pat dry with kitchen paper.
4. Cut the shiitake mushrooms, carrots, and Japanese mustard spinach into 2cm long pieces. Boil them in salt walker and then drain the water.
5. Mix the miso, sugar, sesame and mirin in a container, then add the drained tofu and mix them well.
6. Add the drained shiitake mushrooms, carrots, and Japanese mustard spinach. After mixing, the 'ae' dressing is complete.
7. Wrap the 'ae' dressing with rice flour dumplings. Done!