The most famous snack at Wakasaya Honpo is the "Imo flavor", but this time I bought the "Milk Monaka". It costs 108 yen including tax. It is shaped like a milk can, typical of Hokkaido. The filling has a condensed milk flavor with a rich sweetness. It goes well with dark roasted coffee.

This is a confectionery maker in Hokkaido. Originally, they were a sweet potato-based confectionery shop. Now they produce both Japanese and Western sweets. They have many sweets made with sweet potatoes and potatoes. I bought "Potato Butter Cookies" at a souvenir shop in Sapporo. The flavor of the potato was not very strong, but the butter flavor was rich and delicious.

Founded in 1919, this confectionery shop is known for its signature product, the "imo flavor" created by the first generation owner, Wakasa Genshichi. Their popular item, the "Dodora," is a round cake with a diameter of about 7.5cm, thickness of about 4.8cm, and weight of approximately 134.5g. It is made with red bean paste, eggs, flour, syrup, honey, mirin, skim milk powder, vegetable oil, corn syrup, leavening agent, emulsifier, casein sodium, antioxidant (tocopherol), flavoring, and may contain milk and soy. The cake is imprinted with a fan symbol and uses flour from Hokkaido, creating a dense texture that can hold a large amount of filling. The red bean paste, made from beans from Tokachi, Hokkaido, is firm with a hint of saltiness and a satisfyingly chunky texture. Not only visually appealing, this dorayaki is also delicious in taste.

There seems to be a lineage to the representative sweets of Hokkaido, with this one being the original, so to speak. Its name is "Imo Flavor." It looks very similar to a certain WAKASA... The taste is a bit rougher compared to the mainstream, but I personally prefer this impactful flavor over the refined ones. [Reprinted from the official website] Since its establishment in 1919, Wakasaya Honpo has been committed to making sweets using Hokkaido ingredients. Our representative confectionery, "Imo Flavor," was created by the founder of the original Wakasa-ya, Gen-shichi Wakasa, who opened a confectionery store in the late Meiji era. Unable to use sweet potatoes, which are not grown in the harsh cold of Hokkaido, he used Hokkaido's specialty Daifuku beans and beet sugar to create a confectionery that resembles sweet potatoes. It has been loved by everyone for over 90 years. Enjoy the deep deliciousness that embodies the image of Hokkaido and Wakasaya's craftsmanship.

Hokkaido, Kyogoku Town. Located at the foot of the "Mount Yotei," which has been selected as one of Japan's top 100 mountains. Kyogoku Town is known as a "spring water town" where abundant water springs from the snow melted slowly by Mount Yotei during the winter, filtering through over 100 years. The delicious water in this area makes everything taste great, from vegetables to grains. Here, we have a traditional Japanese sweets shop in Kyogoku Town. "Wakasaya Honpo Factory" is famous for its "Wakasaimo" in Hokkaido. If you live in Hokkaido, you must have tried it at least once! It's a delicious steamed bun with a white bean paste filling that tastes like sweet potatoes. I quite like it! The roots of "Wakasaimo" and Wakasaya Honpo are said to be the same, with a history of either being a branch or a quarrel after establishment. Nowadays, they operate as separate shops selling similar sweets. I had never tried Wakasaimo before, but I had heard that this shop in Kyogoku Town is the original store of "Wakasaya Honpo." I was curious to visit when I had the chance. The day I happened to pass by Kyogoku, I remembered the shop selling sweet potato-flavored treats and made a U-turn to visit the store. The shop has an old Showa-era design, giving off a nostalgic retro vibe like an old-fashioned candy store in a shopping street. Inside the glass case, various traditional Japanese sweets are displayed, but my main target was the sweet treat called "sweet potato flavor" similar to "Wakasaimo"! The packaging is also retro-style, with a 5-piece pack covered by an additional bag on top. The appearance is quite similar to Wakasaimo (surprising). The outer skin is thin, and inside, there is plenty of white bean paste resembling sweet potatoes. The appearance and texture when cut open are just like Wakasaimo! However, when tasting it, the flavor was slightly different. The soy sauce flavor of the outer skin is more pronounced in this one. The inside bean paste also has a hint of saltiness, giving it a more rustic feel than Wakasaimo. It looks similar but tastes a bit different. Some might prefer this one over Wakasaimo! I was happy to finally visit the original store I had wanted to go to once. But wait, is this made in Sapporo?! Looking at the back of the package, it says manufactured in Nishi-ku, Sapporo... Oh, this pattern again! When I searched on Tabelog, it seems there is a factory and store in Nishi-ku as well. If I could buy it in the neighborhood, I didn't have to visit the Kyogoku store! This shop was labeled as a "factory," so I thought they made it here! But it turns out they have a factory in Sapporo too. Well, it was still satisfying to visit the shop I had been wanting to go to. Ah, what a funny coincidence!

I visited the restaurant on a Thursday evening around 7 pm. It wasn't actually in Hokkaido, but once again, it was a Hokkaido product exhibition at my workplace. In our office, we often have various events, and this time there was a product exhibition. Among the products, there was "Wakasaimo" for 540 yen. It's a famous local delicacy that everyone in Hokkaido knows! While "Shiroi Koibito" is more common as a souvenir, when you stay at a ryokan, you often find Wakasaimo instead. It has a simple taste that kids usually like, but I personally find it a bit bland. Still, it brings back memories of my grandma serving it to me. I bought some as a souvenir for meeting my friend later. When I tried it at home, I was surprised by the flavor. It had a nutty taste and I later found out that it's made with sweet beans, beet sugar, and kelp, with a secret sauce on a thin skin. The string-like pieces in the filling resemble sweet potato fibers and are actually finely chopped kelp. I had forgotten that kelp was an ingredient! It's not particularly delicious (because I'm used to it), but it has a nostalgic taste. It's the kind of traditional Japanese sweet that I prefer to eat with milk rather than tea.

Long ago, in the year 1917, the first generation of a man named Wakasa Genshichi from the Wakasaya Honpo created a confectionery called Juto Wakasaya. He passed down his manufacturing method to Wakasa Genshichi, who then opened a confectionery shop in Kyoto-cho, Hokkaido in 1919 and released a product called "yakiimo." The product name later changed from "yakiimo" to "imodenakamo," and further evolved into the current "imo flavor." The shop's website also reveals a connection with Wakasa Imo Honpo and a family tree of the Wakasa family, but it may be a bit confusing, so I will skip that story. The fried sweet potato I bought this time was quite similar to Wakasa Imo, and the taste was quite delicious. It seemed like it would go well with milk, but it also made a good snack with tea. Another snack I bought, which I thought was a mille-feuille, turned out to be different than I expected. However, it was a delicious treat that wasn't too sweet. I had to give up on the cake because I couldn't eat it on the spot, so I'll try it next time! ☆☆☆ Next Episode Preview ☆☆☆ I only knew about Wakasa Imo Honpo, so it was an unexpected store. I'll definitely stop by again when I'm nearby!

I want to be surrounded by Dorayaki. It's very delicious.

Supermarket event. When I picked up the snacks loaded on the special wagon, memories of my trip came flooding back. The "Mada Chi" that melts in your mouth, the hot "Monthly Zangi", and the soft serve ice cream that just won't melt. The miso ramen under the TV tower. It's been a year since my two-day whirlwind trip and it's hard to believe. I bought a snack that looks like a sweet potato from Hokkaido, similar to the one I had there. It was surprising when I first tried it. The sweet aroma of soy sauce wafting from the skin. When you eat it, there are fibers in the red bean paste. I won't be fooled again (laughs). The true identity of the fibers that mimic the fibers of sweet potatoes is thinly sliced kelp. A very unique snack. There are no sweet potatoes in the ingredients.

I received this from Anan-san! "It's like the kind of snack you often find at grandma's house." Indeed, my grandma would probably like it too... The skin is moist but firm, and the white bean paste inside is fluffy and delicious! I was enjoying them with hojicha tea, and before I knew it, three of them were already gone, oops! Anan-san is so wonderful for getting me souvenirs like this! I'll have to get something for you next time! I can't wait to have another meal with Anan-san soon! The next meal gathering is planned in Machida! Looking forward to it! 😊

"I was intrigued by the name 'Butter Rich' so I decided to purchase it. It's convenient that it can be stored at room temperature. The sandwich itself looks similar to a well-known sandwich. It is made by mixing rum-soaked raisins with buttercream and sandwiching it between cookies. It is said to faithfully reproduce the recipe of the now-closed 'Brick Shop Nishimura'. When I tried it, I could feel the strong scent of rum and alcohol from the raisins. It might be more suitable for adults or those who enjoy drinking. Come to think of it, eating this in the cold winter of Hokkaido would probably warm you up. Thank you for the delicious meal. I ended up purchasing an additional pack of two later on (laughs)."

This is a review of "Imo Flavor" half-baked sweets from Wakasaya Honpo. They use white bean paste made from Hokkaido-grown Daifuku beans, as well as Hokkaido-grown wheat flour and sugar. To mimic the fibers of sweet potatoes, they add finely chopped Hokkaido-grown kelp to the paste and bake it. When you open the bag, you can immediately smell the fragrant sweet potato and soy sauce. It is a moist half-baked sweet, similar to sweet potato, but with a rich flavor possibly from the soy sauce. It's quite different from salty taste.

It's more like a solid paste of sweet red bean filling rather than a traditional dorayaki. The filling isn't too sweet, so one piece is easy to eat.