# Hechoko Dango/Uki Uki Dango ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Hechoko Dango/Uki Uki Dango

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
Northern Parts of Iwate Prefecture

## Main Ingredients Used
Sorghum flour, glutinous millet flour, sticky millet flour, azuki beans, sugar, salt

## History, Origin, and Related Events
In the northern parts of Iwate Prefecture, where the climate is cold and unsuitable for rice farming, different types of millets such as Japanese barnyard millet, foxtail millet and buckwheat are grown. Due to this, many types of traditional dishes using millets were born. The “Hechoko Dango” is made with millets such as sorghum flour, glutinous millet flour and sticky millet flour. The flour is rolled into ball shapes and then a dent is made with your index finger, creating a small indentation in each ball. They are served in a sweet and warm “azuki” (=red bean) soup. The sorghum flour has a slightly bitter taste and goes well with the sweet “azuki” (=red bean) soup. Creating a dent in each ball allows the soup to infuse into them.The word “Hechoko” shows appreciation for the hard work of the farmers throughout the year. It is also said that the index finger indentation resembles a person’s “heso” (=belly button). The word “Hechoko” shows appreciation for the hard work of the farmers throughout the year. It is also said that the index finger indentation resembles a person’s “heso” (=belly button). This dish is also known as “Uki Uki Dango(meanings float dango)” because when the millet balls are prepared, they float on top of the boiling soup as if they were dancing. This traditional dish is prepared at the end of autumn, when harvesting is complete, not only for eating but also as an offering to god.

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
This traditional dish is prepared at the end of autumn, when harvesting is complete, for eating and as an offering to god. The dish symbolizes appreciation for the hard work of the farmers throughout the year. The dish is also prepared for guests on special occasions.

## How to Eat
Pour hot water onto bowls of sorghum flour, glutinous millet flour and sticky millet flour. Knead the flour in each bowl and create ball shapes. Once done, create a dent in the center of each ball using your index finger. The night before preparing the dish, the azuki beans(=red beans) should be soaked in water overnight so that they become soft and then should be boiled to create a soup. The balls of flour are cooked in the warm soup until they come up to the top. Serve the dish warm. There is another type of soup called “Hechoko Dango Soup”, which is served in a savory soup flavored with miso or soy sauce, along with ingredients like daikon radish, carrots, and shiitake mushrooms.

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches to commercialization)Products related to "Hechoko Dango/Uki Uki Dango" can be purchased at stores that sell items from Iwate Prefecture. Some schools teach local cuisine and include "Hechoko Dango/Uki Uki Dango" as part of their school lunch menus. In the Ninohe region of Iwate Prefecture, elementary schools grow and harvest millets and make "Hechoko Dango/Uki Uki Dango" as part of their curriculum. In Iwate Prefecture, people and organizations that play a significant role in carrying on local traditional cuisine are recognized as "Iwate Prefecture Food Artisans". There are artisans specializing in the making of "Hechoko Dango/Uki Uki Dango".

## Ingredients
- [Azuki Bean(Red Bean) Soup]: 
- : 
- Azuki beans(=Red beans): 1 cup
- Water: 800 cc
- Sugar: 100g
- Salt: 1／2 tsp.
- [Dango]: 
- : 
- Sorghum flour: 1 cup
- Boiling water: 50 cc
- Glutinous millet flour: 1／2 cup
- Boiling water: 35 cc
- Sticky millet flour: 1／2 cup
- Boiling water: 26 cc
- Salt: A little

## Recipe
1. 1. [Azuki Bean(=Red Bean) Soup] Soak the azuki beans(=red beans) in plenty of water overnight and cook them until they become soft.
2. 2. Mash the cooked azuki beans(=red beans) and add sugar and a pinch of salt to make azuki(=Red bean) soup (you can also use mashed azuki beans(=red beans)).
3. 3. [Dango] Add a pinch of salt to the sorghum flour, pour in hot water, and knead until it becomes the texture of an earlobe.
4. 4. Once the dough is kneaded, shape into small balls about 2cm in diameter and press the center with your index finger to create a small dent, like a belly button.
5. 5. Knead the glutinous millet flour and sticky millet flour in the same way as step 3, shaping them into balls and creating a dent in the center.
6. 6. Put the balls of flour into the boiling azuki soup and wait until they float to the surface, which means that they are ready to eat.

## Provider Information
provider : Tamiko Takamura,"Iwate Prefecture Food Artisan"

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