だんごが好きか？

[shippai]

I've been hearing about this dango stuff for a while now, and being a huge fan of Japanese food, I want to try some so badly. Stuck here in Florida, however, I haven't found any local Japanese restaurants that serve it (I'm also dying to find some local ramen shops, but that's a different story).

How awesome is dango? Is it as good as I imagine it to be?

[two_heads_talking]

well, with it being made of mochi, I find it's about the same as eating a marshmallow (as far as consistancy is concerned) but it's also like eating a ball of melted mozerella cheese, with it being a small ball sized normally, that's not bad, but bigger ones can cause you to gag if you don't completely bite through the mochi.

other than that, it's more a matter of what extras are added to it. I have never been a huge fan of anko. so anything with anko gets a pass for me.

having said all that, I don't know what all the fuss is about..

if you can find mochi rice, you could make your own very easily.

[Yudan Taiteki]

I don't like dango very much.

You should say だんごが好きですか？ to be politer. If you must use plain style, just say 好き? without the か. か added to a plain form verb is very blunt and borderline rude; often it turns a question into more of a rhetorical challenge (i.e. "You say you like dango!?") or at best sounds like you're talking down to us.

[shippai]

Mozzarella cheese, you say? Hm...

You should say だんごが好きですか？ to be politer.

Thanks for the tip, and, as you probably guessed, that mistake was made out of pure ignorance.

[Yudan Taiteki]

It's a very common mistake so don't feel bad. Even though most textbooks do not contain sentences ending in plain form + か as models, they rarely warn you against using them.

[becki_kanou]

I quite like dango myself, but there are many non-Japanese who don't like them, as the sweetness of traditional Japanese confections is rather different from that of typical Western sweets.

That said there are a huge variety of different kinds of dango, and you'll probably like some if not all. One of the easiest kinds to make is Shiratama Dango, and if you have an Asian grocery anywhere near you, you can probably find Shiratama-ko (a kind of flour) and make some yourself.

-Becki

[shippai]

What's the type of dango I've seen with the green-white-red combination (or something similar)?

[becki_kanou]

What's the type of dango I've seen with the green-white-red combination (or something similar)?

That would be Sanshoku Dango (三色団子) .

-Becki

[Takoyaki]

Wow, I had been wondering the same thing about dango for a bit myself. A nice coincidence. Thanks for this thread.

か added to a plain form verb is very blunt and borderline rude; often it turns a question into more of a rhetorical challenge (i.e. "You say you like dango!?")

I just pictured a scene in old-time Kyoto of a ronin going up to someone in a tavern and asking that. The response: "Of course! How dare you disrespect the dango! Prepare to die!" (Sword fight ensues.) Lol.

I didn't even know that about か, though. Just further confirms the fact that polite speech is the safest way to go until you really know your grammar and are familiar with the language enough.

Edit: Oh yeah, I am also in Florida. Another coincidence.