Wagashi is a term for Japanese confections often served with tea. I've been wanting to make this particular rustic wagashi for sometime now. Very simply named the "Sweet Potato", it is of course made from the Sastumaimo, better known as the Japanese sweet potato. The Satsumaimo has a much more mild and delicate flavor than your usual yam or sweet potato and is easily a favorite in Japan. During autumn months, you can find Satsumaimo flavored everything over there from Soft-serve ice creams to chocolates.
There is something very comforting about the satsumaimo for me - like coming home. Maybe because it never fails to make me think of my sis as it was a favorite of hers growing up. Even now, I associate this maroon colored potato with my her just as I associate penguins with Cy ;)
The naturally sweet nutrient-packed veggie lends itself well as a dessert ingredient. And this simple to make recipe makes for the perfect healthy sweet bite when you need a little tea or coffee break.
*I kept mine simple, but you can always get creative and add a dash of cinnamon or vanilla, or any other flavor that might fit your fancy ;)
*The amount of sugar I used was very minimal (I also used brown cane sugar), so if you want it sweeter you can add a little more.
I could eat the satsumaimo from every stage of the cooking process (starting from step 2)....the wagashi is maru maru!
ReplyDeleteI know you can :)
DeleteEm, what a nice and simple healthy snack. I definitely would love to have a few of these with my coffee breaks :)
ReplyDeleteDefinitely may have to give these a try.
DeleteThanks Jerry! Hope you get a chance to try them ;)
DeleteI absolutely adore Japanese sweet potatoes and eat them regularly so when I stumbled upon this recipe, I had to try it. I made it over the weekend and it was fun and easy. Thank you for sharing this recipe! : )
ReplyDeleteI love japanese sweet potatoes too and almost any kind of japanese dessert! I'm glad you tried out the recipe :)
Deletewhere can i buy japanese sweet potatoes on-line or in person. I'm in Long Island, New York Thanks Mike
ReplyDeletemickcube@optonline.net
Hi mike. From what I understand there are a couple of japanese supermarkets in Long Island - such as Nara japanese store and shin Nippon do corp. These will probably be your best bet. There are some online japanese food providers but I'm not sure if they carry produce. Hope you're able to find some and try out the recipe! :).
ReplyDelete