Hoshiimo: Where to Eat, Prices & Opening Hours (Ibaraki)

A rustic snack that represents Hitachinaka is dried sweet potato. Steamed sweet potatoes are sliced thin and dried slowly under the clear air and sunshine of winter. With no added sugar at all, it is a gentle, natural taste in which the sweetness of the potato itself is concentrated.

Ibaraki accounts for the great majority of dried sweet potato production nationwide and is a major growing region, with the city of Hitachinaka and the village of Tokai known as its heart. Tamayutaka, a processing variety, was once the mainstay, but in recent years sweeter varieties such as Beniharuka are also widely used, and their moist texture has gained popularity.

Highlights

The scene of sun drying, nurtured by sea breezes and winter light, is a seasonal sight unique to this area. From moist and soft pieces to firmer ones that grow more flavorful the more you chew, you can enjoy differences by drying degree and variety. Besides the flat dried type, sliced thin and dried flat, there is the whole dried type that locks in a rich sweetness, so you can compare differences in texture and sweetness.

Enjoying the Seasons

Because it is made after the sweet potato harvest, production centers on winter to early spring. Pieces exposed to the cold wind grow especially sweet. Lightly toasted, the toasty aroma and melting sweetness stand out even more.

Access and Basic Information

It can be bought at farm stands and souvenir shops around the city of Hitachinaka. In winter, fresh batches unique to the growing area line the shelves and many people come to buy them. Specialty shops and farm stands dot the growing region, and comparing differences by variety and drying method is one of the pleasures.

Practical Travel Notes

• Origin: Ibaraki is one of the nation top producing regions, centered on Hitachinaka and Tokai. You can choose by variety at specialty shops and farm stands.
• Types: The flat dried type is moist, while the whole dried type has a rich sweetness. Varieties such as Beniharuka are strongly sweet and popular.
• Takeaway: Easy to carry at room temperature and well suited as a souvenir. Check the product label for shelf life after opening and how to store it.
• How to enjoy: Enjoy firm pieces at room temperature, and warm them a little for softness. A light toasting brings out the aroma, and it pairs wonderfully with green tea.

A Quick Tip

If you like it firm, enjoy it at room temperature, and if you want softness, warm it a little. It pairs wonderfully with green tea.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Season: The main shipping season runs from November to mid-March. Ibaraki Prefecture also describes around December to February as the time when it tastes best.
• Main production areas: The prefecture accounts for about 90 percent of the national market, and most of that is produced in Hitachinaka City, Tokai Village and Naka City.
• Public facilities where you can buy it: JA Hitachi Nagasuna Farmers Market "Kokosuna" (34-4 Nagasuna, Hitachinaka City / telephone 029-285-0202). Open 9:00 to 18:00 (until 17:30 from November to January). Closed on the second Wednesday of every month (except December to February) and from January 1 to 3, it sells the local specialty dried sweet potatoes as well as fresh sweet potatoes.
• From further afield: Ibaraki Prefecture notes that it can also be bought at the prefecture's antenna shop "IBARAKI sense" in Ginza, Tokyo.

Note: Opening hours and prices at individual establishments vary from shop to shop.

(Sources: Ibaraki Prefecture official website, "Ibaraki's 'Hoshiimo' Special Feature"; Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, "Our Local Cuisine: Hoshiimo (Ibaraki Prefecture)"; JA Hitachi official site; Kanko Ibaraki official website)

📚 Sources

This article is compiled from Ibaraki Prefecture's tourism information and information published by the individual establishments. Prices, product details and seasons may change, so please check the official information of each establishment for details.

Sightseeing Checklist

• Budget guide: Affordable, from a few hundred yen a bag
• Where to eat it: Farm stands, roadside stations and souvenir shops around the prefecture, including Hitachinaka City
• Best time of day: Available all year round; the freshly made season is winter to spring
• Avoiding the crowds: Stocks of souvenirs are plentiful and easy to buy
• Enjoy alongside: Lightly toasted, plus Hitachi Seaside Park and the Nakaminato Fish Market