Japanese sweet potato recipes to make today! Japanese sweet potato (さつまいも satsumaimo) is an incredibly delicious, nutritious and economical food for your family. If you want a fun outing go dig your own potatoes at one of the Chiba and Saitama farms.  You can find some great sweet potatoes at the Tokyo Farmers Market at the UN University on Saturday and Sunday in Omotesando. Here are some great recipes for Japanese pumpkin if you are hungry for both!

If you love to cook, take a look at our Japanese mushrooms and okra recipes.

Japanese Sweet Potato Recipes

History and nutritional info of the Japanese sweet potato – I recently learned that sweet potatoes were introduced as a food crop in Japan in 1735.  The first sweet potato was supposedly planted in Shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune’s private garden. The sweet potato grew in popularity as a crop because it was easy to grow and was a reliable crop in case of rice and other crop failures caused by typhoons.  Sweet potatoes are very high in vitamin A, B, C, manganese, fiber, potassium and some iron. Sweet potatoes are one of the healthiest vegetables, and one medium-size potato contains enough A and 1/3 the vitamin C of daily dietary amounts. I hope you enjoy the seven recipes below I have collected from some great recipe websites.Japanese Sweet Potato Recipes – Make one today!

1. Daigaku Imo: Caramelized Japanese Sweet Potatoes – A classic Japanese treat made by frying sweet potatoes and then caramelizing them with honey and soy sauce. A great snack warm or cold.

http://cookmap.com/en/recipes/daigaku-imo-caramelized-japanese-sweet-potatoes

 

2. Sweet Potato Rice – This is probably my favourite rice dish for the fall. Easy to make in your rice cooker. The salt added to the rice before cooking pulls out the gentle sweetness of the sweet potatoes forming a perfect balance in this happiness-inducing rice dish. My entire family loves!

https://cookpad.com/en/recipes/143089-sweet-potato-rice-the-subtle-sweetness-makes-me-happy

3. Roasted Japanese Sweet Potatoes – A very basic, but healthy and simple recipe for roasted Japanese sweet potato. You can eat plain or enjoy with any of your favourite toppings. http://thisweekfordinner.com/2011/05/27/roasted-japanese-sweet-potatoes/

 

4. Japanese-Spiced Sweet Potato Fries – These fries are flavored with two types of Japanese spices and seasonings. To give the fries, some sweet flavour  furikake (rice seasoning made with bits of seaweed and toasted sesame seeds) was added. If you want a quick and slightly spicy side dish or snack, these are great. They go well with beer.  http://healthynibblesandbits.com/five-ingredient-fridays-japanese-spiced-sweet-potato-fries/

5. Curried Carrot, Sweet Potato, and Ginger Soup – This soup gets its wonderfully creamy texture from purèed carrots and sweet potatoes rather than cream. Wonderfully filling and warm for a great autumn dish. Make it tonight!

http://www.health.com/health/recipe/0,,10000000521968,00.html

 

6. Roasted Japanese Sweet Potatoes with Scallion Butter – If you’ve never had pale-fleshed Japanese sweet potatoes before, you’ll be surprised by their subtler, drier flesh, which tastes unmistakably of chestnut. A bit of miso mixed into the scallion butter stealthily rounds out the interplay of sweet and salty that will have you eating all the way through to the last flaky remnants of skin. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roasted-Japanese-Sweet-Potatoes-with-Scallion-Butter-240549

7. Mashed Sweet Potatoes – These mashed sweet potatoes are amazing. The extra flaring comes from adding a banana to the mash! If you are looking for a new twist to your family’s mashed potato dish this is it. Instructive video on the site on how to prepare. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/mashed-sweet-potatoes-recipe.html

 

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Japanese Sweet Potato Recipes – Make one today!

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