KITCHEN PRACTICE 1 — Plain Boiled Dango, Judged by Feel
====================================================================

TASK
Make a batch of plain boiled dango, judging the dough entirely by the
earlobe test rather than a fixed water measurement. Taste a piece
plain and note the texture.

WALKTHROUGH

Step 1 — Add water gradually.
Start with the rice flour dry, and add water a little at a time,
kneading between each addition rather than dumping it all in.

Step 2 — Test against your own earlobe.
Gently pinch your earlobe, then pinch a bit of the dough. Keep adding
small amounts of water and kneading until the dough genuinely matches
that softness - not firmer, not stickier.

Step 3 — Shape and boil.
Divide into small, evenly-sized balls. Drop them into gently boiling
water.

Step 4 — Watch for floating.
They'll sink first, then rise to the surface once mostly cooked. Let
them boil about another minute after they float.

Step 5 — Cool and taste plain.
Transfer to cold water, let them cool, then taste one with nothing on
it. Note the texture specifically: should be soft and a little chewy,
holding together well without being tough or gummy.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
WHY THIS MATTERS
Tasting dango completely plain, before any sauce, gives you an honest
read on whether the dough itself came out right - a good sauce can
mask a genuinely off texture, so judging the plain version first is
the more reliable check.