Dango 101 Prompt

Though the streets of Burrowgatory bustle around her ceaselessly, Arizona’s eyes are firmly fixed on the confectionary in front of her: Dan’s Dango. The treats here are infamous for their high-quality craftsmanship and taste. To say it was a staple in Arizona’s life would be a grand understatement; she very much enjoys anything that will satiate her sweet tooth, and as a part-time imp trainer she has often recommended to her clients the joys of feeding their beloved pets a special mochi or dango to see the colorful effects they produce. Though Arizona does tend to try to live by everything in moderation, at least she would like to think she does, it was an impossible feat to ignore the advertisement in the window showcasing dango lessons.

She can only imagine the world of possibilities that would open itself to her. Not only would she be able to make treats for herself and Victoria with the added satisfaction of it being of her own hard work, but she is a gift-giver at heart, and what better way to show someone you care than to make a basket of lovingly made goods? Arizona already has a bit of a cooking streak. It couldn’t be too hard to apply to same techniques to making pastries or desserts. So much flavor is merely on the cusp of her horizon.

That is, if she can manage to walk inside. Her stomach twists with anxiety. The rational part of her mind soothes her. There is no expectation going into this. It is very much advertised as a beginners course, plus her experience in cooking already has her a step ahead from any other buns that she may worriedly compare herself against. The anxious part of her still rises, crying out about all the ways she could make a mistake and embarrass herself in front of Dan. Arizona worries her bottom lip in between her teeth. It would be a nightmare to mess up so badly that she could not show her face in his shop any longer.

After a steadying breath she forces herself through the front door. A bell chimes above her as she enters. The air is thick with the sweet scent of rice cakes. Comforted by the familiarity, Arizona continues inside with hurried footsteps. No one is at the front yet but she imagines someone will come soon given the chime. It isn’t but a moment longer until a familiar bun rounds from the back of the shop, dusting his hands off on a rag.

Dan has never been cruel, of course, though due to Arizona’s overly affectionate nature, she has always worried that he has disliked her. She scurries to the counter with a nervous flush to her cheeks. As a regular, he recognizes her immediately, and gives a curt nod of welcome.

“Good morning, Dan!” Arizona swallows her worry, putting her best hoof forward. Now is not the time to make a fool of herself. “I’m here for the dango lessons?”

Another nod, and he pushes open a swinging door to the side of the counter as an invitation towards the back of the store. Arizona takes the hint with a quick flash of a smile. Dan leads her towards the kitchen area, first to the sinks. They make quick work washing their hands with warm water and plenty of soap before drying off with disposable towels. All the while, Arizona’s eyes flit to and fro soaking in all the behind the scenes areas that customers are typically not privy to.

“I have a table back here for the lessons.” Dan’s voice snaps Arizona’s mind out of its idle wandering. “You pick what kind of dango. Any flavor off the menu.”

“Mitarashi, please!”

For some time now, she had been meaning to get her hands on one, and simply been too busy to come to the confectionary to purchase one. She and her wife Victoria have talked for some time about feeding one of their imps this savory treat. It would be a lovely surprise to be able to provide one after her lessons with Dan. Making it herself only means it will be all the more special.

Dan nods in reply. He quickly busies himself with setting up the table with the necessary flavorings and ingredients, plus a surplus of bowls and baking tools. The area is set up for dual-worksmanship. It seems as though he has rearranged some of his own cooking equipment to be able to accomodate two buns side-by-side in the same space without crowding. He is able to show his own technique while the other bun is able to replicate it under his watchful eye.

“Have you baked before?”

Arizona, busy watching his skilled hands, is a tad slow to reply. Again she flashes a smile. The nervousness in her stomach is settled for the moment. Now she is only excited to get her hands dirty and let her creativity flow.

“Not much— I cook at home. Any baking I do is box mix.” She babbles on about the meals she prepares, her favorites and her burned failures, filling the silence as Dan continues preparing the space. When he finishes and turns to her she silences herself, eyes wide and eager for instruction.

“Any experience is better than none.” Dan takes the time to explain the spread before them and what each ingredient is for. First, the two flours are presented already in their pre-determined amounts. He clarifies the importances of the measurements and how the ratio when mixed can enhance the bounce or chew of the dango themselves. For mitarashi dango it is important not to over-do the mixture as the dango should remain firmer in texture.

Shortly, the two of them have begun their dango making. Dan leads Arizona through the mixing process and listens to her chatter as they wet down the bamboo skewers together. He sets both of their stoves to boil water in anticipation. Soon their flours are mixed together with the boiling water, and they work on stirring it slowly, adding more splashes of the hot water until the texture is perfect.

“My hands are tired!” Arizona whines half-heartedly, pressing the dango dough out onto the table. Dan gives a snorted laugh. The labor involved can be quite intensive for those not used to such precise work. Dan hands her a divider for the dough and she follows along cutting the dough into even amounts, then each into even smaller pieces.

Once the dough is cut and rolled into smooth dumplings, they are delicately dropped into the still-boiling pots to cook. Dan and Arizona work together to clean up the area, dusting and wiping and discarding dirty dishes to the sink, before coming back to the table with a large bowl of ice water. Dan shows her the dango as they boil; once they rise to the top they need to float and cook for another few minutes before being transferred into the ice bath to cool.

Arizona happily moves the dango from pot to ice water, then ice water to wet baking sheet, and listens intently as Dan instructs her to skewer three dango at a time onto their prepared bamboo sticks. As she works on making each dango stick perfect, Dan prepares the soy glaze ingredients for them both.

Making the glaze proves to be the most difficult part thus far. Arizona finds herself a bit overwhelmed with the amount of ingredients, though once she is able to whisk and heat the glaze, she is overjoyed to see the progress of their lesson coming to fruition. Dan continues to guide her through the glazing process and still as she pours it onto their dango sticks. His dango are perfect of course, and as Arizona looks at her own creation, she muses that hers don’t look half bad either.

“You can take home any of these, but the best ones are always served immediately.” Dan picks up one of his own mitarashi sticks before biting off the first chewy dango with a satisfied noise. Arizona is eager to follow suit. The savory glaze pairs perfectly with the firm dango. It isn’t nearly as good as Dan’s own creation, but she supposes that is why he runs a shop and she doesn’t. Arizona enjoys a full two dango sticks herself before asking for a box to take the rest home; she is eager to practice her dango skills after her next grocery trip.

Before she leaves, Dan is quick to inform her of more tweaks she can do with the recipe. Specific flours to try, how to prepare the glaze in advance, and the ideal storage for any dango she would like to save for a later date. When Arizona steps onto the street the world around her seems more wistful and welcoming. The anxious ache in her stomach is gone. With her leftover mitarashi dango tucked under one arm, Arizona hurries towards home with a renewed pep in her step.

word count: 1502