Cook Traditional Dumplings in Rural Tsurugi (Tokushima)

The remote rural village of Tsurugi, Tokushima, is home to stunning terraced farms where ancient practices are still a part of everything from farming to cooking. In this experience, you'll visit one of these farms to learn how to make a traditional snack: soft and chewy dango dumplings. Unlike most dango dumplings, these are similar to soft buns and are not served skewered. This unique dango snack is the pride and joy of Tokushima!

Your hosts will greet you at the meeting point. Located 400 meters high in the small mountain village of Mikidochi, the area is recognized for their Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) that keeps traditional farming methods designed for steep mountain slopes. Life here is quite remote, so the Isogai family grows various crops throughout the year on their self-sufficient farm: homemade konnyaku, pickled plums, rakkyo (Chinese scallion), dried sweet potatoes, daikon, buckwheat, and more.

In this cooking class, you'll make dango the old-fashioned way, kneading mochi-based dough and filling it with seasonal ingredients, such as sweet bean paste, chestnut, soramame (fava bean), and potato jams. Once you've filled your dumplings with ingredients straight from the farm, your hosts will show you how to cook them by steaming them over the fire. Next, it'll be time to enjoy them warm with tea brewed from locally grown tea leaves, the true taste of rural Tsurugi.

Enjoy the bounties of this beautiful farm and learn a local recipe in this unique cooking class!