TSUKIMI dango

In Japan ??Tsukimi at the first full moon in the autumn, the Mid-Autumn Festival, celebrated. Literally means as much as "Moon show" TSUKIMI, sometimes Otsukimi, this really old tradition comes from the J?mon Zeit(1000-300_v._Chr.) TSUKIMI falls Festival every year to a different date because it depends on the lunar calendar, this year it was 22 September. This Japanese page, you can check when the Festival takes place next year.

The tradition of the TSUKIMI Festival is based, among other things that the autumn moon is considered the most beautiful. This is related to the positions of the planets and the Sun, during which the Moon is especially beautiful illuminated.There are some holidays associated with the Moon, these traditions were adopted from China, of the the the Moon Festival, also Mittherbstfest called.

Fixed components of TSUKIMI are a decoration made from Susuki Gras(Chinaschilff) and TSUKIMI dango. Lydia has written a very nice description, it has a very nice blog started namely since short, washi and silk:

"Outdoors (or at an open window) a table is situated in a place where you can see the full moon well." The table is covered with Tsukimidango, cooked vegetables and fruits. Added a vase with seven grasses of autumn.Some lawn is often gouged in a nearby park and to do so.It is drunk sake, admired the Moon and tries to make its beauty in words. It is played and the children get the story of the rabbit in the Moon (tsuki no Usagi) to listen up there to mochi must pounding rice as punishment for his cheek with a large wooden mallet.
"Tea ceremony, ikebana, shakuhachi flute play and live performances are very popular."

  On Lydia's blog you also learn for example: how a temari with very good instructions more about Japanese holidays and many from the area of traditional Japanese crafts. I Lydia in building a little helped, but only the technical, we managed it even fairly quickly. (puuuh, my luck…)

It is so special about TSUKIMI dango be piled on a small St?nder(Sanpo), then on the home altar to devote them the gods. You are served on skewers. Also sweet potatoes, chestnuts and Edamame beans be presented except dango. There are a number of dishes associated with the full moon, they are called ???? tsukimi ry?ri. Among the most famous besides TSUKIMI dango, TSUKIMI Soba and Udon: pasta in a hot broth into a raw egg beaten in that.The yolk represents the full moon.

Since I have no real Sanpo, my TSUKIMI dango would build on a similar small tray. On the pictures used but actually for the worship of ancestors, in August there is a holiday called the O-bon. This tablet is a set of tiny dishes, here some dishes are presented the ancestors are intended only for them that is, they are eaten just afterwards. I purchased this set on a Flohmartkt, it is very pretty and rather old but in really good condition, it is paint made of wood with a lacquer tree. The small dishes very intrigued me, is only a part of it on the image, it is a complete set for the "spirits".

Regards TSUKIMI dango, there is no "special" formula, they are like all other dango from rice flour made easy, but with the "housewives method", as I call them.
There are two other basic recipes for dango alongside the somewhat complicated recipe as Mitarashi dango. First, this here, it is easy: Reismehl(Joshinko) knead with water until a firm dough forms dango, boil in water - ready. This recipe is so easy that Pack indicates on the rice flour, often with small Bildern(siehe_unten), so that you can follow the instructions without Japanese knowledge.I personally like this dango variant, the rice balls have a pleasant, not as "gummige" texture.For this method of manufacture only the genuine suitable Joshin-ko, you should use but really just the original Mehlsorten.Is in the other rice flour from Thailand and China the taste, simply not true and no, I'm not hypersensitive, it's really true. Enough tests performed and again others asked the opinion.

The darker color of bottom dango is because gene may ko (natural flour), I've processed rice with my gene may gristmill to flour. I would have been longer some of my Wagashi ago Mehlsorten itself even Shiratama ko, which is very expensive. The advantage is, if you use a good rice, the taste is incredibly good, a big difference. Unfortunately the first attempt but also hasn't it here with the natural flour it was working as well. Personally, I'm friend, as no such great dango find it always strange that all want to make only dango

100 g rice flour Joshin-ko
approx. 80 ml Wasser(stilles)
Pinch of salt

The flour (and salt) in a bowl, after the water under kneading. The water please not at once pure spill, the amount of water can vary a little.That's really important water deal in small increments, otherwise the dough to liquid.Then knead a smooth dough with the softness of Earlap.The dough should be not sticky or wet, but also not tear when trying to create something out of it.When the right consistency is reached (that's fast), small ball shape and type in the boiling water.Once the dango on the surface swim, they are ready.
Remove the rice balls, short put off with cold water and drain.

You want to make TSUKIMI dango: rice ball on a tray can spread and dry completely.Usually this dango glue not so strong, so you need no strength, then stacked can be layered.After looking at the Moon , eaten the dango: with a little Anko, sesame paste or Mitarashi sauce.The dango taste best when you briefly grills them before eating, as in this recipe.To my knowledge, TSUKIMI dango mostly grilled and consumed with Mitarashi sauce.

Bon app?tit!

The white ceramic Bunny is a ?? Kogo, a small container for storage of incense, which is used in a tea ceremony.Kogo there in many forms, from wood or ceramic containers, they belong to traditional tea ceremony facilities.