Potatoes/Squash

by : Reiko Potatoes/Squash

New Kid In Town! Roasted Purple Potato
新しいお気に入り、紫芋。

I talked about my favorite potato, Satsuma-Imo, in this post.

But now there is a new kid in town!

I should probably say it’s new to me, because apparently the purple potatoes have been around for many years.

I don’t know why it took me so long to finally try this beautiful plant.

I got mine at Whole Foods, but I also know that a local Asian grocery store also sells them.

Interestingly, the price was not good (yes, even at Whole Foods!).

I’m absolutely, hopelessly, in love with this potato.

The amazing purple color really makes me realize the power and wonder of nature, and be thankful for this beautiful earth.

I roasted my purple potatoes the same way I roast Satsuma Potatoes; I use the microwave-oven method.

Loved the taste AND the texture of this purple guy.

It was so good as it is, but crazy good when eaten with my homemade V-butter.

Mmmmm… Roasted Satsuma-Imo
うまっ！焼き芋

Although Japanese cuisine has become pretty popular around the world, there are still so many amazing Japanese foods people are missing out on.

One of them is Satsuma-Imo, or Japanese sweet potato.

Yes, it’s a personal opinion, but a lot of people who did try it, including my husband, as well as many Japanese people who live abroad would agree with me.

In the U.S., they may be sold as “Oriental Sweet Potato”, “Asian Sweet Potato”, “Japanese Sweet Potato”, or “Satsuma Potato”.

They have unmistakably dark maroon colored skin (inside is white).

The ones (above) I picked up are a bit chubby, but usually the shape is just like regular sweet potatoes.

How do you cook it?

Well, the best way is roasting it.

When roasted, it brings intense sweetness.

During the roasting process, I noticed that syrup-like liquid was woozing out of the potatoes, which really shows how sweet these potatoes can be.

I love the taste, but the texture is also wonderful.

It’s soft and moist, but not too moist and it keeps the texture satisfying and pleasant.

You can add it to your dinner plate, but it also makes a great snack as it is.

The potato is just so delicious as it is that I typically do not add anything.

No salt, not syrup (please DON’T), no sauce, but the only thing I may do is putting a little piece of butter, which is a whole another story and will probably deserve its own post about it (lol)!

Other ways I enjoy Satsuma Potatoes include tempura and miso soup.