Yamagata City

1. Yakiimo Kanta

🍠 Who are you?
Moist type with a sweet taste VS traditional fluffy type

A sweet potato shop about 650 meters from the east exit of Yamagata Station, or a 10-minute walk.
You can enjoy two types of sweet potatoes, moist and fluffy.

As those of you who love baked sweet potatoes know, there are brands in various regions of the popular baked sweet potato called Beni Haruka, such as Beni Tenshi from Ibaraki Prefecture, Aoi Haruka from Miyazaki Prefecture, and Potato Jenne from Niigata Prefecture.

Among them, there is a branded sweet potato called Amata-kun from Oita Prefecture.

The name of the grandson of the owner, Mr. Wago, is Kanta-kun, and he became attached to the sweet potato brand Amata-kun from Oita Prefecture, and decided to name the shop Yakiimo Kanta.
*When the store first opened, the store name “Yakiimo” was written in hiragana, but now it has been changed to “Yakiimo” written in kanji.

I learned for the first time that there are various brands within the same variety.
You will want to compare the taste.

The baked sweet potato menu is divided into moist and fluffy types, and is listed on the blackboard.

In addition, a graph was posted with the vertical axis being “Moist / Fluffy” and the horizontal axis being “Sweet / Lightly sweetened”.

It’s nice to be able to choose while looking at the graph, because it’s easy to get lost when there’s a lot of varieties.

Next to the checkout counter of the shop, there are many kinds of baked sweet potatoes.

The lineup seems to change depending on the season, and at the time of the interview, there were six types of baked sweet potatoes, but Kanta-kun wasn’t in stock that day.

Disappointing! I would like to go to eat again next time!

At this shop, the price changes according to the number of grams, and it is sold by weight.
The amount per 100g was written for each variety of sweet potato.

Oven and charcoal

There are two roasting machines, one for oven and the other for stone roasting, and it seems that the method of roasting is changed depending on the potato.

Economical silk suite small size

For those who like silk suites, this is recommended!
It is a product packed with a great deal that contains a lot of small size silk sweets!

Red Haruka and Naruto Kintoki

I bought Beni Haruka and Naruto Kintoki.

Beni Haruka is said to have pioneered the sweet potato boom with its moist and sweet taste.
Naruto Kintoki was a sweet and gentle fluffy type.

It’s nice to be able to choose from so many types of potatoes.
Moist type and fluffy type, how about going to find your favorite sweet potato?

2. Yakiimoya

🍠 Does cooling increase sweetness and stickiness? !
Chilled sweet potato popular even in winter

Located a few minutes by car from Yamagata Station, this roasted sweet potato shop is marked by a red banner that looks like a sweet potato with the words “Yakiimoya” written in large letters.

The owner, Mr. Saito, wanted to create a place for local people to interact with each other, so in 2017 he started a roasted sweet potato specialty shop.

This shop was one of the first in Yamagata, where the culture of chilled foods such as chilled shampoo and chilled ramen has taken root.

After roasting the sweet potato, they noticed that the sweetness was further enhanced by allowing it to ripen and then quickly freezing it.
By extending the period, the sweetness seems to change again.

In addition, they are particular about the ripening of sweet potatoes, and there is a temperature-controlled storage room for sweet potatoes in the store.

It is said that the sweetness of sweet potatoes changes when they are aged in a room with appropriate temperature and humidity control.

After the farmer harvests the sweet potatoes, they ripen them and then send them directly to the store.

The ripening period is changed according to the thickness, size, and hardness of the sweet potato skin, and you can feel the commitment to the sweet potato.

<Beni Haruka> (Medium) 200 yen, (Large) 250 yen, (Extra large) 350 yen

Baked sweet potatoes are available in three sizes (medium, large, and extra large) and three states (hot, chilled, and frozen).

I thought that “chilled baked sweet potato” would be popular in summer, and “warm baked sweet potato” would be popular in winter, but it seems that the “frozen baked sweet potato” is popular all year round!

When I asked the owner for a recommendation, he said “chilled baked potato,” so I got that.

Certainly, compared to ordinary baked sweet potatoes, it feels sticky and sweeter.

I used to think that baked sweet potatoes are best served warm, but cold is also delicious!

Frozen sweet potato sweets

Next, I received a topical product that started this year (2022).
It is a product that has just started selling, but it seems that many customers are ordering it.

Macha green tea iced adzuki beans

This is “Macha green tea iced azuki”.

It contains baked sweet potato, corn flakes, Macha green tea ice cream, and azuki red beans.
The combination of sweet potato and azuki red beans is perfect!
It will be even more delicious if you eat it in the summer!

Frozen cheese and yam

Finally, I also got the “Frozen Cheese Yakiimo” which was on sale from November .

Cheesecake and cheese are on top of baked sweet potato!
Hot melted cheese and baked sweet potato, this is the first combination, but it goes well.

The shopkeeper’s future goal is to create a place where students can come to play, talk about things they can’t tell their parents about, and interact with each other .

Not only hot baked sweet potatoes, but also chilled baked sweet potatoes, frozen baked sweet potatoes, new menus, etc.

I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of menu will be added in the future.

3. Maru-imo

🍠 Rare in Japan
You can eat “White Daigaku Imo”

A sweet potato specialty store that opened in Yamagata City’s Nanokamachi area in 2018.

Do you know “white university potato”?
White daigakuimo was offered at several stores in Nanokamachi around 1960, and it was a big boom!

The white daigakuimo has been revived after 60 years!
This shop is the only place in the prefecture where you can purchase white daigakuimo, which is rarely available nationwide.

White Daigakuimo (Red Azuma)

Daigakuimo is covered with sugar like snow. A new texture that is crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside!

Because it is coated with smooth sugar, it is lighter and easier to eat than regular daigakuimo!
It was so delicious that I couldn’t stop eating it!

The store representative himself had never eaten white daigakuimo, so it seems that he had a hard time developing the product.

However, when we started selling it, we received favorable comments from people of all ages, such as those who knew the old white Daigaku imo, saying, “I miss it!” and young people, saying, “It’s fresh and delicious!”, said he was happy.

Baked sweet potato ice cream

Next, I would like to introduce a warm sweet potato topped with Zao milk ice cream.

In fact, this menu has become a hot topic on Instagram, saying, “It looks good and is delicious.”

It’s a simple combination of baked sweet potato and ice cream, but it’s like the finest sweets.
The baked sweet potato and the ice cream that melted in the heat were irresistibly delicious.

Baked Sweet Potato (Beniharuka/Silk Sweet) S 300 yen M 400 yen L 500 yen

The classic baked sweet potato is also sold in three sizes.
The baked sweet potato is said to bring out the maximum sweetness of the sweet potato by slowly baking it for about 2 hours.

Baked sweet potatoes are Beniharuka and Silk Sweet, and white Daigakuimo is Beniazuma.

There is also an eat-in space inside the store, so you can relax and eat inside the store even on days when the weather is bad.

The representative, Mr. Saino, said, “We have a food truck, so in the future we would like to open a store at events in the prefecture and spread the word about white daigakuimo. Freshly made sweet potatoes are the most delicious, so we will deliver freshly made sweet potatoes to as many people as possible.“

By all means, why not try the “Shiroi Daigakuimo”, which can only be tasted here in Yamagata, or the “Yakiimo Ice Cream,” which has become a hot topic on social media?

Yamanobe Town

4. Sumidoya

🍠 You can taste authentic Anno sweet potatoes sent directly from “Tanegashima”
Special baked sweet potato shop

Sumidoya is located in Yamanobe Town.
This shop sells takoyaki all year round, but they also sell baked sweet potatoes only in autumn and winter.

A container house for making baked sweet potatoes will appear across the road from shops selling takoyaki and naruto during the sweet potato sales season.
*When the sweet potato is baked, a sign that says “Open” is hung on the outside wall of the store.

stone-grilled

In the store, two types of sweet potatoes were baked with a stone-baked potato machine.
The round shape of the sweet potato is cute.

In stone-grilling, the surface that is in contact with the stone heats up the most, so while checking the timer, the position of the potato is changed minute by minute, and the baking method is also changed according to the moisture content of the sweet potato.

In the photo above, the left one is the Anno red sweet potato from Tanegashima, and the right one is the red Haruka from Ibaraki.

Today, Anno potatoes are grown all over the country, but it is said that after the Pacific War, soldiers brought back potato seedlings from the battlefields and cultivated them in the Anno district of this island.
*From Kagoshima Prefecture HP

Until 2013, only Tanegashima was allowed to cultivate Annoimo.
What a luxury it is to be able to enjoy authentic flavors while staying in Yamagata!

Anno sweet potato (red sweet potato)

This is the red sweet potato of Anno sweet potato from Kagoshima.
I feel that the color is darker than the baked sweet potato that I usually eat!

If you compare this Beni-imo and Beni-haruka, the shades are completely different!

The red yam on the left looks more orange than the red haruka on the right!

Let’s eat it.

First of all, from Tanegashima’s red sweet potato.
Since the skin is hard, it is eaten with a spoon.

“Delicious with a moist and gentle sweetness~”
It was a taste that I could eat without getting tired of eating a lot!

Next, I will eat red Haruka.

“Ah!”
The red yam was also sweet and delicious, but the red haruka has a completely different degree of sweetness!

Even if it is just a baked potato, the taste is so different! I was impressed.

Also, it seems that naruto and red gold Anno potatoes from Tanegashima will be in stock around December.
I would like to visit you to eat again when it is in stock!

There is a resting space called “Sumi-goya” on the opposite side of the road.

Here, you can sit on the benches and eat the baked sweet potatoes and takoyaki you bought at the store.
In addition to baked sweet potatoes, takoyaki skewers like dumplings are also recommended.

Mr. Okuyama, the representative of the shop, said, ” The takoyaki and baked sweet potatoes I bought with my little pocket money when I was a child are very delicious, and I want people today to eat delicious things, ” so even children can buy them. It is said that they are doing such a price.

It’s been 10 years since they started selling baked sweet potatoes, and it seems that the number of customers who come to the store is increasing year by year through word of mouth.

How about authentic baked sweet potato and takoyaki at a shop loved by locals?

Nanyo City

5. Gelato En

🍠 Winter only!
How about a pot-baked sweet potato that you can taste at a gelato shop?

Kumano Taisha Shrine in Miyauchi, Nanyo City, Yamagata Prefecture, is boasting a history of 1200 years.
The gelato shop on the approach to the Kumano Taisha Shrine sells tsuboyaki imo (pot-baked sweet potatoes) during the winter season.

Natural color wooden appearance with a bright and gentle impression.

Kumano Taisha Shrine has become popular as a power spot where love can be fulfilled.

Gelato En’s logo also features the three rabbits.
It’s a cute rabbit with a simple but Japanese atmosphere.

Baking pot

The sweet potatoes are slowly baked in this pot for 2 hours.

The sweet potato hanging in the pot is kind of cute, isn’t it?

When you enter the shop, gelato is lined up on the left side of the cashier counter, and there is a hot showcase with baked sweet potatoes on the right side.

Tsuboyaki imo

Price seems to change depending on variety and size.
Baked sweet potatoes that are carefully baked in a pot are very popular and were sold out at the time of the interview!

When I visited the store in early November, the large ginkgo tree next to the shop was turning a beautiful golden color.

During the fall foliage season, it’s wonderful to enjoy the tsubo-yaki imo while gazing at the 900-year-old ginkgo tree.

They also sell Tsuboyaki-imo Gelato, which is gelato on top of a pot-baked sweet potato.
*On sale as of December 2022
Please check the official SNS etc. for the next season.

How about a warm sweet potato and a cold gelato?

Yonezawa City

6. Batata

🍠 Limited to 20 per day!
Mitsuimo sweet potato baked on charcoal for 6 hours

“What happens when baked sweet potatoes are specialized for sweets?”
“How many sweets can be made with 100% natural ingredients derived from nature?”

Batata is a small sweet potato shop started in 2020 by the owner with such passion.

6 hours of charcoal-grilled special sweet potatoes delivered directly from a farmer in Chiba Prefecture!

The specialty of this shop is Mitsuimo, which is a very carefully baked sweet potato!

It is a 1-minute walk from the main gate of Yamagata Prefectural Yonezawa Women’s Junior College, and is marked by a navy square outside.

There is a parking lot for one car on the right side of the store, so please use that.

Universal kiln

Sweet potatoes are baked in this all-purpose kiln.
The retro atmosphere of turquoise blue is cute.

It seems that it is difficult to adjust the heat of the charcoal fire, so it seems that they are responding to it.

Mitsuimo

Mitsuimo is cut into a size that is easy to hold so that you can eat while walking.

*The packaging was peeled off for the purpose of photographing.

It looks like the sweetness is condensed.
Let’s eat it right away.

“What is this!! Is this a sweet potato!?”

It has a strong sweetness as if processed with sugar, and the texture is very smooth.
Even though the sweet potato is originally sweet, it looks like a sweet.
Customers sometimes ask, “Are you adding sugar or honey?”

There is only one item on the menu, the Mitsuimo (350 yen).
I was touched by the passion they put into each dish and their love for potatoes.

It is open all year round, but Yonezawa is a heavy snowfall area, so it seems that it will not be open during heavy snowfalls.
(If you make a reservation by phone or on the store’s official LINE, it seems that they may be able to accommodate you even when they are closed due to heavy snow.)

Also, since the number of sweet potatoes is limited, it is safer to make a reservation even if it is not a heavy snow.

In the future, the shop will gradually reduce in-store sales, and from 2023, they are thinking about shifting to full-scale reservation sales only.
For those who have made a reservation, it will be sold at the desired time from 10:00 to 19:00.

At a shop full of love for sweet potatoes, how about some sweet potatoes?