# Hage Dango ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

**Cuisine Name**: Hage Dango

**Region**: Our Regional Cuisines

## Main Lore Areas
All of Kagawa Prefecture

## Main Ingredients Used
Wheat flour, azuki beans

## History, Origin, and Related Events
In Kagawa Prefecture, the farming season begins in May, when wheat is harvested, and ends in June, when rice planting takes place. Around July 2, which is called "Han-ge-sho," is a milestone, and farmers rush to finish rice planting by "Han-ge" or "Han-ge-han-tsukkuri," to avoid being behind schedule. It is also known as "Hange-no-hageagari" and is the time when the continuous rain stops and the rainy season ends. On this sunny day, people make and eat "hage dango" to relieve their fatigue for about half a day. The dumplings made from freshly harvested flour are smooth, shiny, and fragrant.The name "hage dango" comes from the fact that the dumplings are eaten at "Han-ge" and the way the bean paste is speckled on the surface of the dumplings.

## Opportunities and Times of Eating Habits
There is a custom of making dumplings with fresh barley during "Han-ge-sho" to take a rest and be thankful for the blessings of nature. The "hage dango" is offered to the gods and the Buddha and eaten with the family.

## How to Eat
Boil azuki beans or sasage beans(=cowpea beans) in plenty of water to soften. Add the same amount of sugar as the beans and reduce further. Add a little salt at this time to enhance the sweetness. Knead flour with water to make dough. Boil water and drop in bite-sized Dango(dumplings). When the Dango(dumplings) float to the surface, drain them in a colander. Drain the Dango(dumplings) before sprinkling the red bean paste over the whole dumpling. There are different ways of eating Dango(dumplings) depending on the region, such as baking them on a griddle with anko (red bean paste) inside the dough, steaming dango, or sprinkling soybean flour on top of the anko (red bean paste)

## Efforts for Preservation and Succession
(Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches at commercialization)Even today, they are made at home. Because wheat-flour Dango(dumplings) tend to be hard, rice-flour Dango(dumplings) are increasingly being made. In school lunches, white Dango(dumplings) covered with red bean paste are incorporated as "hage dango" to coincide with "Han-ge-sho".

## Ingredients
- Wheat flour: 400g
- Water: 200g
- Salt: A little
- [Red bean paste] Azuki beans (red beans): 100g
- [Red bean paste] Water: As needed
- [Red bean paste] Sugar: 100g
- [Red bean paste] Salt: 1／2 tsp.

## Recipe
1. 1. Make the sweet bean paste.Boil azuki beans or sasage beans in plenty of water, and when the water comes to a boil, discard the water to drain off the azuki. Again, add plenty of water and bring to a soft boil. When it is simmering, add sugar and cook until the mixture is firm enough to hold together, without burning. Add salt to enhance the sweetness.
2. 2. Knead flour with water to make a dough about the consistency of an earlobe. Boil water and drop bite-sized pieces of Dango(dumplings) dough into the boiling water with a wooden scoop. When it rises to the surface, drain it in a colander.
3. 3. Drain off the water from the [2], and while still hot, sprinkle the red bean paste from the [1] evenly over the Dango(dumplings).It is ready when the red bean paste is evenly distributed and the Dango(dumplings) are "hage".

## Provider Information
provider : Agricultural Management Division, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Kagawa Prefecture

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