Tokyo University Potatoes, #SundaySupper

Did you have an afterschool job? Students at Tokyo University (the Harvard of Japan) supported themselves by selling sweet potatoes caramelized in honey and sprinkled with sesame seeds. The scrumptious treat that originally made its debut in the Taisho period (1912-1926) eventually became a staple at street fairs.

University Potatoes:
Sweet potatoes caramelized in honey and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Evenings late in August and early September brought out the street fair vendors in Tokyo. Our family would join the yukata (cotton kimono) clad crowd and make a beeline for the daigaku imo – university potatoes. Soon after we’d sink our teeth into the crunchy honey-sesame shell covering the soft sweet potatoes. A guaranteed smile from the sapling Ninja Baker.

From the street fair to the Sunday Supper table -
The Ninja Baker's Tokyo University Potatoes.

Street food is being served at tonight’s #SundaySupper. (Scroll down for details about the Twitter event.) University potatoes were my first choice. I thought I’d make them somewhat healthy by roasting instead of frying the potatoes. Er, I didn’t exactly have my Tokyo University/Harvard thinking cap on when I drizzled the tots with honey on the cookie sheet. You guessed it! Seconds later smoke signaled the mistake and soon I was scrubbing honey off the oven floor. Sigh. So I fried the potatoes. Once again I drizzled the lovely gems with honey and sprinkled sesame seeds. The result? Um. Truth? They were edible…So what did I learn? Fly to Tokyo for the treat!

Daigaku Imo University Potato Ingredients:
Cut up sweet potatoes, honey, sesame seeds and vegetable oil. 

Perhaps you will have better luck with this 1-2-3 recipe. All you need are cut up sweet potatoes, honey, sesame seeds and vegetable oil. Fry up the potatoes until tender. Blot the oil off the potatoes. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Today’s #SundaySupper is hosted by Bea of The Not So Cheesy Kitchen and Heather of Girlichef. Both ladies’ sites glitter with stellar recipes. As do the food bloggers listed below.