Gomasuri Dango

ごま摺り団子

"To enjoy the traditional flavours and textures of dango in a more healthy way"

-Jason Doan

Historical Background

Characteristics

Where to buy Gomasuri Dango?

How to Get There

Direct Voice from Author

To Know More!

References

Historical Background

Gomasuri Dango is a popular souvenir from the Iwate Prefecture (JRE MALL Media, 2024). 'Goma' meaning black sesame and 'suri' meaning grounded means that Gomasuri dango literally means grounded black sesame dango. This sweet was created in 1988 by the third-generation owner of Shoeidoh, a traditional Japanese confectionery store, in an attempt to develop a new kind of healthy Japanese sweet (Confectioner Shoeidoh, 2025). At the time, sesame seeds were gaining popularity for their health benefits, and the third-generation owner of Shoeidoh recognised an opportunity to create a product that would be healthy whilst maintaining the traditional Japanese flavors. However, simply using sesame in a standard dango recipe wouldn’t be enough to make the product stand out and therefore determined to craft something truly original, the third generation owner of Shoeidoh devoted himself to a process of thorough research and repeated trial and error.

(Confectioner Shoeidoh, 2025)

The third-generation owner of Shoeidoh would reach a breakthrough when he decided to completely re-think the conventional structure of the dango, and instead of serving the dango on skewers, as it is traditionally done, in addition, he chose to eliminate the skewers entirely. Instead, he placed the sweet sauce which typically was poured over the dango inside of the dough itself, creating a rich and surprising flavour experience from the already well known dango. This novel approach not only enhanced the eating experience but also gave the Gomasuri Dango a distinct identity that set it apart from other Japanese dango. Thus, gomasuri dango was born with a soft, flavorful, sesame-based syrup that is incorporated inside the dango, combining creativity with tradition, quickly becoming one of Shoeidoh’s signature products (Confectioner Shoeidoh, 2025).

Characteristics

Just like with most dango, Gomasuri Dango’s base is made of gluttonous rice flour yet what sets it apart from other dango is, of course, the sesame. Not only is it the centerpiece of the sweet but also packed with nutritional benefits, which reflects the sweet's health-inspired origins. The paste is made from finely ground black sesame seeds and has a rich, earthy flavor, which creates a smooth texture that complements the chewy dango outer shell and the syrup is created by mixing Soy sauce with the sesame paste to create a syrup that further enhances the sesame's flavour.

Black sesame has been cultivated for over 5,000 years and even used as medicine in ancient times. Therefore, It is a well-known superfood packed with an array of nutrients (McCarthy, 2024) , including protein, calcium, iron, various vitamins, and dietary fiber, making it much more healthier than its other dango alternatives. One thing that sets black sesame apart is the high content of anthocyanins, a type of polyphenol with antioxidant properties that help combat eye fatigue and reduce the risk of lifestyle-related diseases (Confectioner Shoeidoh, 2025). Additionally, sesame seeds are rich in sesamin.

Sesamin has been shown to support liver function, suppress bad cholesterol, and aid in the prevention of aging-related conditions such as menopausal symptoms and osteoporosis by supporting hormone balance (Confectioner Shoeidoh, 2025). Therefore, the sesame paste is not just delicious but beneficial for those watching their weight or seeking to maintain overall wellness which perfectly aligns with the third-generation owner of Shoedioh’s goals.

Black Sesame

(Confectioner Shoeidoh, 2025)

Gluttonous Rice Flour

(Confectioner Shoeidoh, 2025)

Soy Sauce

(Confectioner Shoeidoh, 2025)

Where to buy Gomasuri Dango?

As stated previously, Gomasuri Dango is a popular souvenir in the Iwate prefecture therefore, you would be able to buy Gomasuri Dango at any souvenir shop such as the station, department stores and Japanese sweets stores. My personal recommendation on where to buy Gomasuri Dango though is obviously at the store it was created Confectioner Shoeidoh located in Ichinoseki in the Iwate prefecture

How to Get There

Shoeidoh Main Branch

Address: 3-36 Jishumachi, Ichinoseki, Iwate 021-0893

Phone: 0191-23-5008

Open 9am to 5pm everyday

Direct Voice from Author

When you think of dango you usually imagine sweet gluttonous rice cake balls attached by a skewer but colour me surprised when I found out that Gomasuri Dango had the syrup inside instead of on top. The first impression when eating this sweet was sesame, if you like sesame at all then you'll love Gomasuri dango as there is a rich and deep taste of sesame that fills your mouth leaving behind a sweet and nutty after taste leaving me craving more than just one. Therefore, if you by any chance like sesame than I would heavily recommend you try Gomasuri dango as not only is it absolutely delicious but also relatively healthy too.

To Know More!

Although Gomasuri Dango was already well known within the Iwate prefecture, it gained a massive boom in popularity across Japan when the manga JoJo's Bizarre Adventure JoJolion, featured the sweet as a key part of its story and was even included in an advertisement for Ultra Jump a publishing magazine for the manga.

As of the time of writing, there is little to information about Gomasuri Dango in English; therefore all these links are in Japanese

https://media.jreast.co.jp/articles/552 (Japanese only)

https://mono-sashi.jp/gourmet/6348/ (Japanese only)

https://pr.shoeidoh.co.jp/gomasuri/index.html (Japanese only)

Videos

Much like the readings the majority of the videos are all in Japanese