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Come autumn, the droning sound of an old man singing about yaki-imo (roasted sweet potatoes) fills the streets of Japan. A chilly weather treat that is usually bought from the back of a truck specially equipped with hot stones, yaki-imo is a fall favorite enjoyed by people of all ages. But as delicious as it may be – if internet raving is anything to go by – the yaki-imo ice cream made by the Imuraya Confectionery Company is even better than the real stuff…and it looks and tastes exactly like a roasted sweet potato!

The last time the yaki-imo ice cream was found on store shelves was back in 2011, and the dessert will be back on September 2 after three years of complaints from die-hard sweet potato ice cream fans. The yaki-imo ice cream comes in a bag that looks similar to what you’ll find a piping hot roasted sweet potato nestled in:

▼ Here’s the potato bag.

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▼　And here’s the ice cream bag.

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▼ The photo on the front makes the dessert look pretty close to an actual potato!

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And opening it up reveals the faux yaki-imo!

▼ Cold to the touch, but it warms our hearts!

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▼ The dessert starts to look a little funny when you take one side off.

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But breaking it in two reveals just how far the Imuraya Confectionery Company went to making their yaki-imo ice cream look like an actual sweet potato. Here’s a look at the inside:

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Just kidding, that was the real thing! Here’s the actual ice cream innards:

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It’s surprisingly close to the original and is even sweeter! We especially like how the creative ice cream makers added chocolate to mimic the burned potato skin.

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A close-up of the package reveals exactly what this bizarre treat is made out of:

▼ The outside is made of yaki-imo monaka (roasted sweet potato wafer cake) and the inside is mostly sweet potato cream filling with a thin layer of sweet potato paste and a chocolate coating to give it those authentic looking burned bits.

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We can’t say anyone in our office has tried out these frozen “sweet potatoes,” but we’re excited to give them a try come September 2! Until then, Rocketeers!

Source: Naver Matome
Featured image: Livedoor (unidon)