Pounding Mochi, Making Dango

Morgan liked mochi. It tasted delicious, it had an unbelievably satisfying texture, and it looked good too. He wanted to make a new dessert for his restaurant that would wow his customers. It had to be something unique but also something tasty. Which is why he decided on mochi. 

He had tasted a gorgeous sea salt mochi from Dan’s Dango over the summer, and it had been so good! He wanted something like that for his restaurant, which was why he decided to go on a tour of Dan’s sweets workshop and experience first-hand what it’s like to make such perfect dango and mochi. 

Morgan Drake followed Dan around his workshop and sweet studio, where he mixed and pounded the mochi ready to be sold to hungry customers. He talked about his process as he went, explaining the exact technique he liked to use in order to create the perfect consistency, shape and bounce for his dango. 

“Do you have any questions?” Dan asked Morgan as they turned the corner to a small workstation. 

“Yes, actually, I’d love to add a mochi dessert to the menu at my restaurant, I was wondering if you’d be willing to show me, in a more practical way, how to make mochi that is,” Morgan asked, and Dan raised an eyebrow before thinking a moment.

“Hmmm, okay, I guess I can, but you must do exactly as I say,” Dan instructed, and the pirate bun nodded before following the other to the station. 

“What flavour did you want to make?” Dan asked as he took out the ingredients. Morgan thought for a moment. Although he would love to make something ‘pirate’ themed, he didn’t think Dan would be up for him making a rum-flavoured dango. 

“Maybe blueberry?” Morgan replied as he was handed a mortar and some rice. 

“Alright, I’ll go get the ingredients. You start grinding the rice into flour,” he instructed, and Morgan nodded. He didn’t think he’d be doing this part, but he did promise to do everything Dan instructed, so he simply did as he was told. 

While Dan went to get the fresh ingredients, Morgan grinded the rice into a fine flour. He was fairly built in his upper body for years working as a captain on a ship. He was used to hard labour and had no problem grinding the rice. 

When Dan returned, the other raised his eyebrows, impressed with the fine and smooth consistency of the rice flour. 

“Huh, good job, okay, next here…take this water and add it to the rice flour,” he instructed and watched Morgan add only a drop. After some encouragement, the pirate added more, and Dan handed him a mallet and told him to get pounding. 

Morgan worked tirelessly for a while. Pounding the concoction into a thick mochi before being handed the blueberries.

“Now add these and continue to pound,” Dan instructed, and Morgan did just that. He pounded the fresh fruit into the mochi, mixing them around until the white, stretchy food became blue and a little softer, thanks to the extra liquid from the juiced blueberries. 

“Good job, alright, time to shape,” Dan told him and did the first one for him. Creating the perfect ball of blueberry mochi. Morgan watching him slide it on the black dango stick and then he nodded for Morgan to do the same. 

The first one he did was a bit mishapen if he was honest but the second one was definitely more in line with the standard of Dan’s and the dango maker man nodded with a very slight smile. 

“Very good, okay, now we have to drizzle with some sauce, here is my blueberry sauce you can use,” he said and handed him the squeezy bottle of sauce. Morgan concentrated and attempted to replicate the swirly zigzag pattern he saw on Dan’s dango. 

He smiled when he was done and Dan nodded again. 

“I think that was excellent for your first time making Dango,” he said and the pair tried Morgan’s dango. It wasn’t as heavenly perfect as Dan’s, nobody could get it that good! But it was close enough for the pirate and the dango maker to be satisfied with the quality. 

“Mmm, great mochi, it’s always nice to eat some made by somebody else, I’ll have to come visit your restaurant,” Dan said and left the rest for Morgan to enjoy. 

“Oh well if you do, I’ll make sure I’m there, the dinner is on me, after a lovely experience here, thank you Dan,” he said, bowing his head. 

“Not a problem, now, help me tidy up,” he said, and Morgan nodded, helping the other clean up. He wiped down the surfaces, cleaned the mortar and put away the ingredients. 

Before Morgan left, Dan gave him a small wooden mallet for pounding mochi. 

“I hope your mochi-making goes well, it was a pleasure to have you here,” Dan told him. 

Morgan smiled and gave his thanks, shaking Dan’s hand before bidding him goodbye and making his way down the street and back toward his restaurant. 

He stared at the mallet in his hands as he walked, he couldn’t wait to implement mochi into his menu. He just had to think of some interesting and unique flavours. 

“Hmmm, maybe a rum-flavoured mochi would be nice, or maybe something tropical…hmmm, mango,” he thought as he walked. “Oh coconut, now that’d be good.”