Taste the Sweet Potato Tart that originated in Japan!

Surprisingly, there are some Western confections that are not known to have originated in Japan.

Among them, sweet potato tart is a baked sweet made from sweet potato, and the buttery aroma of the baking process makes you smile.

Even if you hesitate to eat them because of the calorie content, you will find yourself reaching for them when you are tired or when they are placed next to the cash register.

Sweet potato tarts can also be made at home, and in the fall, when sweet potatoes are in season, they are often made at home as a snack.

In this article, I will explain about the Japanese sweet potato tart, its history, points of attraction, and recommended sweet potato tart stores, including my experience.

Isn’t Sweet Potato Tart from overseas?

The sweet potato tart is a western confectionery that originated in Japan, using sweet potatoes as its main ingredient.

The English word “sweet potato” refers to the sweet potato itself, and the Japanese sweet potato tart confectionary is not well known overseas.

It is one of Japan’s traditional desserts, so named because it is made from sweet potatoes cooked sweetly.

The history of sweet potato tart began in the Meiji period (1868-1912).

Around 1887 (Meiji 20), the sweet potato was originally cooked by mixing sweet potato with chicken eggs and sugar and serving it in a sweet potato skin, but it was changed to a pastry made into small pieces and baked with egg yolk on the surface.

Although there are no detailed records of where it originated or who invented it, there is a theory that a confectioner in Tokyo began making it by combining the ingredients and techniques of western-style confectionery with sweet potatoes, which were a common food at the time.

It seems that sweet potatoes were already available around 1887, but later, after World War II, famous confectionary stores in various regions began selling sweet potato tarts, and the sweet potato became established throughout the country.

Are overseas sweet potatoes not as sweet as Japanese ones?

The types of sweet potatoes favored in different parts of the world vary by region.

Yellow sweet potatoes are common in East Asia, including Japan, China, and Korea; orange sweet potatoes are common in Central and South America and the United States; and purple sweet potatoes are common in the South Pacific and Southeast Asia.

To give an example, most sweet potatoes grown in the U.S. are orange varieties that contain carotene inside, and are sometimes described by Japanese as “sticky and watery like a pumpkin” or “fibrous carrots”.

Compared to Japanese sweet potatoes, they are more watery and tend to be sticky in texture no matter how they are cooked, and are not as sweet as Japanese sweet potatoes.

The typical Japanese sweet potato variety “Quick Sweet” is said to have a sugar content of around 16 degrees Celsius when raw and 38 degrees Celsius after cooking, while “Beniazuma” is very sweet at around 14 degrees Celsius raw and 30 degrees Celsius after cooking.

In Japan, breeding has progressed and the number of sweet potatoes with a “hokuhokku” or “sticky” texture and a strong sweetness has increased, making the baked sweet potato, once an autumn delicacy, popular throughout the year.

Three Attractions of Sweet Potato Tarts

Here is a summary of some of the things that I find appealing about sweet potato tarts.

A Western-style sweet that originated in Japan

The sweet potato tart is a Western-style sweet that originated in Japan, using sweet potatoes as its main ingredient.

Invented in the Meiji era (1868-1912), it was initially made by mixing sugar, milk, butter, and other ingredients with sweet potatoes, then baking the mixture in a sweet potato skin.

Although the name is a foreign word, it is actually a Japanese Western confectionery, and the English word “sweet potato” refers to the sweet potato itself.

The idea of using the sweet potato tart skin as a container is similar to the technique used for Japanese sweets such as “yuzu mochi” and “kaki yokan,” and is a characteristic sweet that makes the most of the Japanese aesthetic sense.

It is relatively simple to make, and its appeal lies in the fact that it can be enjoyed as a Western-style confectionery while taking advantage of the taste of the sweet potato itself, making it popular among children and adults of all ages.

Unique flavor that makes the most of the sweet Japanese sweet potato

Japanese sweet potatoes have been improved through breeding, and many of them have a strong sweetness with a “hokuhokku” or “sticky” texture. The representative variety “Quick Sweet” has a very high sweetness with a sugar content of about 38 degrees after heating, and even “Beniazuma” has a sugar content of about 30 degrees.

On the other hand, American and European sweet potatoes are orange inside and have a high water content, and are not as sweet as Japanese sweet potatoes.

By using these uniquely Japanese sweet potato, sweet potatoes with a natural sweetness that stands out even when the amount of sugar used is reduced is created.

The sweet potato tart is a sweet treat that takes full advantage of this uniquely Japanese high-sugar sweet potato and has a flavor and texture that cannot be found in other countries.

The ever-evolving modern Sweet Potato Tart

In modern Japan, a wide variety of products have evolved from the traditional sweet potato tart.

Not only long-established confectionery stores, but also convenience stores and major confectionery manufacturers have developed sweet potato tart related products, and the sweet potato has evolved into a sweet that can be enjoyed throughout the four seasons.

For example, products such as “cool and sweet chilled baked sweet potato” in summer, “sweet potato pie” and “small yokan sweet potato that can be eaten with one hand” are gaining popularity, as are modern arrangements of the shape and texture.

Events such as the “Oimo Expo” are being held in various regions, and there are more and more opportunities to enjoy products that bring out the best of the sweet potato, from traditional yaki-imo to more advanced sweets.

In this way, Japan’s sweet potato tart culture, which continues to evolve while preserving its traditions, will be a fresh discovery for foreign visitors to Japan.

My 3 recommendations for the best Sweet Potato Tart stores in Japan

In this article, I would like to introduce three of the best sweet potato tart stores in Japan that I highly recommend.

My 3 favorite sweet potato tart stores in Japan

Column: Is sweet potato tart also a Japanese confectionery?

The name “sweet potato tart” in katakana makes it look like a confectionary imported from abroad, but it is actually a “Western-style Japanese confectionary” that originated in Japan more than 100 years ago during the Meiji Era (1868-1912).

It is said that it was first made by a confectioner in Tokyo who combined the ingredients and techniques of Western confectionery with sweet potatoes, which were a common food for the common people at the time.

The main reason why sweet potato tarts have elements of Japanese confectionery is in their production method.

One of the most distinctive features is the use of sweet potato peels as a vessel.

It is thought that this method is modeled after the yuzu kama method used in traditional Japanese sweets such as yuzu mochi (yuzu rice cake) and persimmon yokan, in which a yuzu or persimmon fruit is hollowed out and filled with red bean paste.

Another major characteristic of wagashi, the aesthetic sense that emphasizes color and appearance, is also utilized in sweet potato tarts.

The yellow flesh of the sweet potato and the beautiful browning of the surface are exactly in line with the aesthetic sense of traditional Japanese wagashi, which expresses a sense of the seasons and the colors of nature.

Thus, the sweet potato tart is truly a unique Japanese confectionery born from the fusion of Japanese and Western confectionery, using sweet potatoes, a traditional Japanese ingredient, as an ingredient, and combining Western ingredients and techniques such as butter and milk, while incorporating Japanese confectionery methods and aesthetic sensibilities.

Three ways to enjoy Sweet Potato Tarts

To enjoy sweet potato tarts to its fullest, try these tips:

✅ Enjoyment changes depending on the temperature

The charm of Japanese sweet potato tarts is that you can enjoy completely different flavors depending on the temperature.

Freshly baked or warmed sweet potato tarts have a moist, flaky texture and a rich buttery flavor that fills the mouth.

Store-bought sweet potato tarts can be heated in a toaster oven for about five minutes or in the microwave for one minute for a melt-in-your-mouth experience.

Refrigerated sweet potato tarts, on the other hand, have a milder sweetness and a lighter flavor.

Especially in summer, you can enjoy the refreshing sweetness when eaten chilled.

Furthermore, when eaten half-frozen and half-thawed, it changes to a new taste sensation like moist and rich sweet potato ice cream.

In this way, you can enjoy different textures and tastes of a single sweet potato tart at different temperatures, which is a uniquely Japanese way to enjoy sweet potatoes.

✅ Combination with vanilla ice cream

The combination of sweet potato tart and vanilla ice cream is a particularly popular way to enjoy sweet potatoes in Japan.

When cold vanilla ice cream is placed on top of the warm sweet potato tart, you can enjoy the exquisite mouthfeel created by the difference in temperature, as well as the great combination of sweet potato tart and vanilla.

In addition, vanilla ice cream topped with sweet potato tart transforms into an authentic parfait-like dessert, just like in a coffee shop.

The moist texture of the sweet potato tart blends perfectly with the smoothness of the ice cream, and if you top it with crushed sweet potato kenpi, you can enjoy the crunchy accents and the luxurious taste of sweet potato.

Conversely, there is another way to enjoy using vanilla ice cream as a sweet potato tart ingredient.

There is a popular recipe in Japanese households that mixes mashed sweet potatoes with vanilla ice cream to easily make a rich and creamy sweet potato tart.

✅ Eating and Souvenir Culture

In Japan, there is a culture of enjoying eating and walking around, with each region dotted with sweet potato tart specialty stores and Japanese sweets stores.

In Asakusa, Tokyo, the round shape of sweet potato tarts sold at Oimoya-san Koushin, established in 1876, is very popular and attracts many tourists.

The sweet potatoes are characterized by the carefully selected ingredients and rich flavor of butter and milk that only a wholesaler specializing in sweet potatoes can offer, and are suitable for both eating and taking out.

There are sweet potatoes made from local brands of sweet potato tarts in various regions of Japan, and they are popular as souvenirs for travelers.

For example, in Ishikawa Prefecture, sweet potato tarts with pie crust made from Goroshima Kintoki, a traditional Kaga vegetable, have become a popular product, selling more than 90,000 units annually, and are also popular among foreign tourists.

In addition, there is an anecdote that the “Royal” sweet potato tart at Fukuoka Airport became so popular with cabin attendants and pilots that it became a specialty souvenir, and Japanese sweet potato tarts are enjoyed as a reminder of the trip and as a gift.

Comparing sweet potato tarts from different regions through eating and souvenirs is a uniquely Japanese way to enjoy sweet potato tarts.

You can taste delicious Japanese Sweet Potato Tarts at home!

You can purchase these unbelievably delicious sweet potato tarts from Amazon from the comfort of your own home.

In this article, I would like to introduce you to some of the Japanese sweet potato tart I recommend that you can purchase on Amazon.

Find the sweet potato tart of your choice and enjoy an elegant snack time from the comfort of your own home.

If you are interested, check out the following products on Amazon!

Kiln Roasted Potatoes, Set of 5 (Presentation Box), Sweet Potatoes Made with Plenty of Hokkaido Ingredients (Kiln Baked Potatoes)

[Aged Sweet Potato] 2013/Ibaraki Prefecture Governor Award “Gold Prize” Exquisite Sweets 24.3 oz (720 g) (120 g x 6 pieces) Low Temperature Aged “Beniharuka” Branded Egg “Okuji Egg” and “Fresh Cream”

Kurazukuri Honpo Sweet Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, 20 Pieces (Beikun) Kawagoe Specialty, Gift