Ya~ki imo...

Rice is the main staple of Japan, but it's land and labour intensive, which is why rice is surprisingly expensive in the land of sushi and senbei. The local population loves its carbohydrates though, and Nature has provided in the form of potatoes, sweet potatoes and no less than three varieties of yams, all used in various traditional dishes as a main ingredient, cheap filler or thickening agent.

The epitome of comfort food on a cold day could very well be a hot, fluffy potato, and during street festivals, among the stalls selling takoyaki and chocolate coated bananas, there will always be one or two selling freshly steamed, locally grown potatoes for a couple of hundred yen. The best part is that the vendors will slop on butter like it grows on trees. I've yet to try one, since the potatoes themselves are huge and I'd have no space afterwards for all that delicious yakisoba and grilled squid, yum.

While I've only seen buttered potatoes during festivals, sweet potatoes roasted on hot rocks are available almost all year round, sold out of the back of a small truck that plays a recording of an ojii-san nasally deadpanning, "Ya~ki imo... ya~ki imo... ishiya~ki imo..." The guy gets around, I tell you, because I swear I hear the same voice whether I'm here or in Tokyo. Therein lies one of the many contradictions of this bustling metropolis; you don't really expect to see an old chap selling roast sweet potatoes in a rustic little truck among the steel and glass skyscrapers, but he's there anyway. Since the spiel is the same everywhere, there's no mistaking that the yaki-imo man is in your neighbourhood when you hear him, though I must say that when you're trying to relax in a hot bath, the sudden blast of "ya~ki imo" through the ventilation system can sure ruin the mood.

I wasn't in the bath this particular time, but when I heard the dulcet strains (O.o;;;) of the yaki-imo truck one afternoon, I grabbed some spare change and my camera, and chased it down to a side street next to my school. Well, not really chased, more like a quick walk, since it was moving *really* slowly.

I bought me a small sweet potato which came in an environmentally friendly brown paper bag (that's country living for you) that stayed reassuringly warm for quite a while afterwards. I think the yaki-imo man was quite surprised that I took a pic of him. Good sport though.

He must have thought I was a crazy gaijin. XD

The sweet potato was best eaten hot, so I wasted no time in tucking in when I got home. It was sweet and fluffy, though a little drier than I expected. A little melted butter fixed that right up though. ^^

I wonder if the yaki-imo man gets purple and orange sweet potatoes too, not just the yellow ones. I think the cooked sweet potato is meant to be eaten on the same day, since the ones sold in the supermarket have a note telling you to do just that. Yes, even the supermarkets have a yaki-imo counter where you can pick up hot, cooked sweet potato, but it just isn't the same as buying one from a hardworking bloke in a mobile stall. You really can't buy that kind of added value with money, so here's to the little guy and his home business!