Shizuoka's food cultureKnow

Dried sweet potatoes are said to have originated in Shizuoka Prefecture. During the Edo period, sweet potatoes were introduced to Shizuoka Prefecture after a man named Osawa Gon-emon rescued a Satsuma ship that was shipwrecked off the coast of Omaezaki.

Later, as sweet potato cultivation spread throughout the prefecture, a method called "nikiriboshi method" was invented, in which sweet potatoes were boiled, sliced ​​thinly with a knife, and then dried in the sun; this is said to be the beginning of "hoshiimo."

Drying in the sun brings out the sweetness and softness of the sweet potatoes.

The Enshu region of Shizuoka Prefecture is known for the strong northwesterly seasonal winds known as the "Enshu dry winds" that blow from mid-October through to spring. The strong, dry winds that blow down from the mountains and the long hours of sunshine are ideal for sun drying.

The production of dried sweet potatoes has been popular since ancient times. Nowadays, the typical winter scene of dried sweet potatoes lined up in drying areas seems to be less common, but dried sweet potatoes made with the wind and sunshine unique to Enshu bring out their sweetness and have become a hidden specialty of Shizuoka.

How to eat

Steam the sweet potatoes until you can easily pierce them with a bamboo skewer. Peel them while they are still hot and slice them thinly lengthwise. Then dry them in the sun. If you are making them at home, you can also dry them by baking them in the oven instead of drying them in the sun.

The sweetness and softness of the final product will vary depending on the type of sweet potato used.

If you lightly toast it in a toaster or over a charcoal fire, the outside will become crispy but the inside will become soft and sweeter.

Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Our local cuisine）

Image credit: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Our local cuisine）

<[Contact information]
Yamahikari Oki Shoten
0537-86-3276
Address: 526-1 Shiobara Shinden, Omaezaki City, Shizuoka Prefecture