Daigaku Imo is Japanese candied sweet potatoes. In Japan, it is more a snack or dessert than a sweet potato side dish that belongs to a meal like sweet potatoes in American cuisine. Daigaku Imo is something your mom makes for an after school snack or tea time for the family. Scrumptiously glossy, sweet, and hearty – it’s one of everyone’s favorites. That said, Daigaku Imo could also be an interesting alternative to the usual sweet potato or yam casseroles that are fixtures in holiday meals in the US.
Daigaku Imo literally means “college potato.” The name comes from the fact that the dish was sold and popular among people in college areas in Tokyo in the early 1900s. Ever since, Daigaku Imo has been, although a simple and old-fashioned taste, one of the all-time favorite sweets loved by Japanese people.
Today it’s pretty easy to find purple skinned (yellow inside) Japanese sweet potatoes called “Satsuma imo” at a lot of local stores. They are very sweet and dense, and suitable to making desserts. Sweet potatoes in this dish are cut into wedges and deep-fried to become crispy, then coated in thick sugary syrup. It’s best eating freshly made of course, but it will hold for a few hours. How much the syrup should be cooked down is up to you. If you like a softer sugar coating, cook less, and if you like harder sugar, cook down more.
Next time you are thinking of making a sweet potato dish, try Daigaku Imo. It’s sweet, crispy and chewy, and you and your family will enjoy this sweet recipe.
Daigaku Imo Recipe
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Ingredients
- 18 oz Japanese sweet potatoes
- Deep-frying oil
- 4 Tbsp sugar
- 4 Tbsp Mirin
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 tsp Soy Sauce
- black sesame seeds
Instructions
- Cut potatoes into 1.5″ to 2″ wedges. Soak in water for 5 minutes. Drain water and pat-dry potato pieces very well.
- Heat oil at medium heat. Deep-fry sweet potatoes for 5 minutes and remove from oil. Then turn oil to high heat, put potatoes back in the hot oil and cook for a minute longer, until just turning in color. Remove from oil.
- In a frying pan, heat sugar, Mirin, honey, and Soy Sauce at medium heat until slightly thickened. Add cooked sweet potatoes in the sauce and cook for 2-3 minutes, coating with the sauce which is further thickened but still fluid. Separate the coated potato pieces on a sheet lined with a silicon mat or oiled parchment paper so that they don’t stick together. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds. Cool for a few minutes and serve.
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