

There is also the satsumaimo (sometimes spelled satsuma-imo) which has a light yellow flesh. Whether you’re talking about Murasaki or another white fleshed variety, they are essentially all the same in taste, appearance, and nutritional values. What is the Murasaki potato? Your typical Japanese yam. You will also find Melissa’s brand of produce selling them at other grocers. No, it’s not TJ’s per se, but in the fall they do seem to be the largest retailer where you can buy them. You will understand the pros and cons for each in a moment. Those purple beauties are quite different than the white sweet potato, which is more popular on the mainland. military did following World War II, while they had to occupy that island for a period of time. It’s an actual figure based on a thorough study the U.S. Before adapting Western style cuisine, thanks to the Okinawa diet, the island’s inhabitants had the longest life expectancy on earth – 81.2 years.Ī staggering 70% of their former diet consisted of Okinawan purple yams. Up until recent history, they lived in their own little world out there, with a way of eating which was quite different. The Okinawan comes from an island which is 400 miles south of mainland Japan. It’s important to differentiate between the Okinawan purple sweet potato and the white fleshed version.

Sure, the sugar content (fructose) is naturally occurring, but that doesn’t change the fact that it too will spike your blood sugar. Their melon fetish is hard to understand. They definitely like a few sugar-laden foods themselves. which are not sweetened with added sugar.Įven foods marketed as being “healthy” such as organic protein bars… most seem to have 10 to 20 grams (or more) of sugar in some form.īut the Japanese are not innocent. It’s almost impossible to buy dried berries – such as cranberries – at any grocery store in the U.S. We have heard from many who hate the fact that us Westerners tend to ruin everything by adding sugar to it. Understandable, as they can be hard to resist.Ĭompared to Americans, the Japanese have less of a sweet tooth.

What do Okinawan sweet potatoes taste like?ĭue to the pandemic, these can be hard to find and rather than picking up at Trader Joe’s, you have people resorting to buying their purple potatoes on Amazon.What does a Japanese sweet potato taste like?.
