A teahouse founded in 1922, across Shimogamo-hondori from Shimogamo Shrine. Each skewer holds five dumplings, with the first set slightly apart; the five are said to stand for the human body, as a charm against misfortune. The dumplings are toasted to order until lightly charred, then coated in a sweet-and-salty sauce made with brown sugar.
53 Shimogamo Matsunokicho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto
Sources: intojapanwaraku.com mapple.net
This moment in the journey
Mitarashi dango by Shimogamo Shrine
One thing you must eat at a Kyoto teahouse is mitarashi dango, fresh off the grill. I headed to Kamo Mitarashi Chaya, across the road from Shimogamo Shrine. Beside the noren hung a sign reading Kyoto Specialty.
Shimogamo Shrine, one of the oldest shrines in Kyoto, is said to be the birthplace of mitarashi dango: the dumplings are said to be shaped after the bubbles that well up from the bottom of the Mitarashi Pond in its grounds. According to the information board, the sacred water rising by the three cedars of Tadasu no Mori has long nourished people's lives and fields. The vermilion gate glowed in the winter sun.
Five dumplings to a skewer, toasted until charred in spots and drenched in a sweet-and-salty sauce. I love their chewy bite. This is the taste of a teahouse that has been loved at the shrine's doorstep for over a hundred years.
Watch this scene on YouTube4:22
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