Hoshiimo - Traditional Foods in Japan | Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

IbarakiHoshiimo

Classification (Large)

Agricultural products

Classification (Small)

Other processed agricultural products

Main ingredients used

sweet potatoes

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Region of inheritance

Central region (Hitachinaka City, Tokai Village, Naka City)

Product overview (special characteristics and types)

Ibaraki Prefecture ranks at the top for dried sweet potato production in Japan, and Hitachinaka City, Tokai Village, and Naka City are the top producers. These regions are blessed with conditions optimal for the producing dried sweet potatoes, such as well-drained soil from volcanic ash, a climate with dramatic variations in temperature, salty sea breezes, and long sunny days in the winter. As the drying process uses the strong ocean breezes, the major shipping period for these products is usually from November to mid-March. However, because dried sweet potatoes have a long shelf life, they are enjoyed all year round. The process for drying sweet potatoes is simple, so the product is often made at home as well, and the sight of sweet potatoes drying under the eaves of houses has become a traditional winter scene.

History and culture

The story goes that dried sweet potatoes originated from Shizuoka Prefecture, when they were brought over after Osawa Gonemon, a village official from Totomi Province (now Shizuoka Prefecture), saved a ship hailing from Satsuma (now Kagoshima Prefecture) that was in distress. As the cultivation of sweet potatoes spread in Shizuoka Prefecture, a man named Shozo Kuribayashi came up with the boil-down and dry method. This method involved cutting boiled sweet potatoes into thin slices with a knife, and then drying the slices. This is said to be the start of dried sweet potatoes, which immediately spread to the Kanto region due to their convenience: the potatoes could be preserved and eaten at any time. Later, Terunuma Kantaro, who had seen dried sweet potatoes in Shizuoka, became lost off the coast of Shizuoka Prefecture and started making dried sweet potatoes after finding himself in Ibaraki Prefecture. It is said that the production of dried sweet potatoes surged when Toshichi Yuasa and Kihei Koike, who ran a rice cracker shop in Nakaminato City (now Hitachinaka City) started to process and sell dried sweet potatoes. In fact, at Horide Shrine in Ajigaura there is a bust of Kihei, commemorating him as the person who popularized dried sweet potatoes. In 2019 a new shrine dedicated to dried sweet potatoes was built within this shrine, created with the wish for people to obtain every “hoshii-mono (a pun that means both ‘dried sweet potato’ and ‘something one desires’).”

Production method

Dried sweet potatoes are made by peeling the skin from steamed sweet potatoes, and cutting and drying them. It is a simple process that does not leave room for other contrivances, and the quality of the potatoes and processing technology is clearly expressed in the products’ flavor. The shape of these products ranges from whole dried sweet potatoes to thinly-sliced and flat products, and to stick and cubic shapes. The products do not use any sugar or additives. The nutrients in dried sweet potatoes are condensed and rich in dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and potassium. It has been attracting a lot of attention as a “super food” that efficiently provides plenty of nutrition just by eating a small amount.

Conservation and succession efforts

Dried sweet potatoes are still being made at home in the current era, as doing so involves just steaming, cutting, and drying. Dried sweet potatoes are also finding their way into school lunches, and hands-on experiences for making them are also on offer. Nowadays a wide range of sweet potato types are used to make various dried sweet potato products as well, and choices range from daily-use items to gifts. The organization of producers and others, the Hitachinaka/Tokai/Naka Hoshiimo Kyogikai, has been striving promote the products through the Hoshiimo Seisan Mitsuboshi Undo and Hoshiimo Hinpyokai. The Hoshiimo Seisan Mitsuboshi Undo is an initiative to promote the safe and secure production of dried sweet potatoes through activities such as sanitary processing. The Hoshiimo Hinpyokai is held annually to boost producer skills and encourage more people try dried sweet potatoes.
Dried sweet potatoes have been selected for the Modern Category within the Agency for Cultural Affairs “100-Year Foods,” a program that unearths food cultures passed down from generation to generation.

Main consumption method

The simple sweetness and soft texture are popular with men and women of all ages. While eating these dried sweet potatoes as-is is satisfying, they can also be lightly toasted, deep-fried, or stir-fried with butter. Dried sweet potatoes can also be used in diverse ways, such as in the batter for poundcakes or chiffon cakes.

At-home recipes：Dried sweet potato stir-fried in butter and soy sauce

Ingredients

Dried sweet potato

2 slices

Butter

10 g

Soy sauce

1 teaspoon

How to make

Cut dried sweet potato into bite-sized pieces.

Melt butter in a pan, stir-fry the dried sweet potato cut in 1 above in the butter, and pour soy sauce evenly over them to finish.

Put them in a dish.