Sidenote: Odango

I decided to go all out on my Mitsuwa trip last week and buy a pre-packaged sweet I've only read about in manga/seen in anime etc. Now, I've had takoyaki and taiyaki and various other snacks popular in daily life in Japan, but odango are something I've not often come across. This package of three skewers was $3.49 in a refrigerated display.

I wasn't really sure what to expect since I did not read up on the details before I purchased them. They are comprised primarily of rice flour and doused in a savory/sweet brown sauce. On further study after the fact, I discovered this particular serving is called mitarashi dango.

Now, I've had cakes made of rice flour before and was not a fan of the sticky, chewy, and flavorless experience. Aside from the brown sauce, I felt the same about these. They are SO sticky that a good portion continued to stick to the skewer even after I tried to eat it. Now, I don't know if it was just these particular odango, but I certainly was not a fan. They weren't terrible but the cultural experience was the only redeeming factor.