Kinako Anko Dango by Kamome Bakery

This is yet another authentic-but-fusion treat from Kamome that I was very satisfied with. When I saw the combination of green tea, anko (Japanese red bean paste) and kinako, I knew it was a winning combination and instantly pounced on it, and I was right. This is called "Kinako Anko Dango", and is in essence a matcha bun spread with anko and kinako butter (or toasted soy butter, like Wow Butter). This is then sprinkled with kinako powder.

Although the official name is "dango", which refers to the Japanese chewy glutinous rice balls, normally skewered in 3s on a stick, there is actually no dango or glutinous rice mochi in this at all. The dango seems to just refer to the shape of the bread, which you can see is shaped like the outline of 3 balls in a row. (I personally prefer that it has no real dango or mochi inside, as I am not fond of the sticky texture and also don't think such mochi contributes any flavour at all.) 
Kinako Anko Dango by Kamome Bakery
But once again, like their Strawberry Matcha Tea-ramisu, I felt that this creative presentation made for an absolutely delightful visual experience. Also, since I reheated it in the toasted, the extra surface area created by the bumps actually made for more crispy surface area, and also more surface area for the kinako powder to coat, which produced a very fragrant toasty and nutty aroma when reheated.

You can see from this photo of the filling that there is a good amount of kinako cream or butter inside, in equal parts to the anko.
Kinako Anko Dango by Kamome Bakery - layers of filling
Taste-wise, this was a winner all around. The bitter, leafy and earthy matcha in the bread was prominent and provided a very nice grounded base for the taste.

The gentle, earthy sweetness of the red beans in the anko paste added further depth to that bed of matcha bread.

The kinako paste was the star, however, because its rich toasty and rustic nuttiness with grainy notes filled out the spaces between the matcha and the anko, and brought about an overall sense of umami in the combination. The grainy notes of the bean in the kinako also further filled out the bean flavour in the anko's red bean flavour. I think there might also have been some salt in the kinako, which contributed to the sense of umami and the balance against the anko's sweetness. The smoothness of the kinako also evened out the airiness of the bread and the grainy bumps in the anko.
Kinako Anko Dango by Kamome Bakery - inside view of filling
When reheated in the toaster, the kinako powder on the surface added an extra rustic nutty aroma that mingled beautiful with the matcha's green leafy notes, and the crispy matcha bread complemented the soft interior and smooth filling.
Kinako Anko Dango by Kamome Bakery 2
Finally, the level of sweetness was perfect. I usually prefer more bitter tastes, but when anko is added as a filling, it usually tends to be too sweet. But because the anko is only half the filling here, and there didn't seem to be much sugar in the kinako paste, the overall sweetness level was halved, which was perfect for this mature, bitter shibui (渋い) finish. 

Discover other kinako, red bean or matcha treats

Comments

Post a Comment