[Purely Original] Naturally grown Shiratama flour from Kyushu 180g

Introducing "Shiratama Flour" made from naturally grown glutinous rice without the use of fertilizers or pesticides. This time, the raw material is glutinous rice (Hiyokumochi) grown by Hideaki Noda, who grows naturally grown rice in Tamana City, Kumamoto Prefecture.

It has been enjoyed by the common people since the Edo period, and its simple taste and smooth texture have made it a popular summer food. In the Edo period, it was common to eat shiratama dango floating in chilled sugar water, but in recent years, it is often eaten with soybean flour, brown sugar syrup, red bean paste, etc., and it is also common to see it served with soft serve ice cream and fruit in cafes.

The main ingredient is glutinous rice flour, so the fact that it is gluten-free may be the reason why it has become so popular in recent years.

The shiratama flour delivered by Purely is produced by Shiratamaya Shinzaburo, a long-established shiratama flour manufacturer known only to those in the know in Kumamoto. Kumamoto has always been known as the "City of Water" due to its abundant groundwater, and Hikawa Town in Kumamoto Prefecture, where Shiratamaya Shinzaburo is located, continues to have an abundance of delicious water flowing through it.

Unlike glutinous rice flour, Shiratama flour uses a lot of water, so "good water" is essential. To make Shiratama flour, polished glutinous rice is soaked in water overnight, and then finely ground while adding water. After that, it is exposed to new water to settle, and then squeezed, hardened, chopped into small pieces, and dried, a time-consuming process. For the fine grinding process, they insist on using "stone mill grinding," which is now rare.

Using a machine like a grinder to grind the rice into powder would make the process much faster, but it was believed that the frictional heat generated in the process would cause the starch in the glutinous rice to deteriorate and lose its original flavor, so even today they continue to grind the rice slowly and little by little using a stone mill.

Please enjoy the sweet taste of Shiratama made with Shiratama flour, which is made using ingredients grown naturally without the use of fertilizers or pesticides, and is produced using traditional methods with great care.

Basic recipe for Shiratama Dango (serves 3-4, about 30 pieces)
For every 100g of shiratamako, add 100ml of water. Don't add it all at once, but add about two-thirds of it first and mix well.
Add the remaining third little by little while checking the consistency.
It's OK if it comes together nicely and doesn't fall apart.

Once mixed, roll it out onto a cutting board and cut it into thin strips 1cm apart with a knife.
Roll the cut pieces into balls with your hands and then crush the centre a little to make it easier to cook.
Place in boiling water and it will float within 1-2 minutes.
Once they float, remove them from the water and they're done.

Easy Mitarashi Sauce Using Homemade Seasonings
Put 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 3 tablespoons of sugar, 100ml of water, and 1 tablespoon of potato starch into a pot and place over medium heat.
Mix together and after about 3 minutes it will no longer be cloudy and will change from a runny consistency to a thick one, then remove it from the heat and it's done.
If you like it sweeter, change the 3 tablespoons of sugar to 4, or add mirin to add not only sweetness but also richness.