Mitamaya

Mitamaya’s kuromitsu dango are best enjoyed by lifting each rice cake from its coating of kinako (roasted soybean flour) and tasting it with the black syrup. Visitors describe the cakes as soft and more flat and rectangular than round. The generous kinako coating combines with the syrup for a sweetness that some found refined rather than cloying.

Part of the pleasure is watching the kinako gradually absorb the syrup. Eat the dango soon after buying them to appreciate the flour’s flavour, or leave them a little while to enjoy the sweeter, syrup-soaked kinako; a single box offers a chance to compare the change. Some visitors report being advised to eat them on the day of purchase, so it’s best not to wait too long.

Several reviews say the dango are sold in packs of 10, not individually. They may suit sharing with family or friends, or enjoying a few at a time over tea, rather than buying just one to nibble on. Some visitors have found them sold out in the afternoon, so consider going in the morning if they’re what you’re after.

Uguisu mochi and sakura mochi are also mentioned among the sweets to look out for. On a spring visit when the kuromitsu dango had sold out, one customer chose hanami dango instead, enjoying its pink, white and green colours, chewy texture and gentle sweetness.

This wagashi shop is in Shimogamo Higashihommachi. It is closed on Tuesdays and open on other days from 9:30 to 18:00. Payment is by cash only, so come prepared if you’re choosing kuromitsu dango or seasonal sweets.