Ichiroku Tart (Yaki-imo)

Shikoku tart seems to pair perfectly with absolutely anything—it's that versatile.

The Ichiroku Tart, features a yuzu flavor as its original taste is a famous Shikoku specialty made by Ichiroku Honpo, and this “Baked Sweet Potato” is their seasonal limited-edition.   Using “baked sweet potato” for the confectionery name, instead of just “sweet potato” sounds like a uniquely wintery concept.

An adorable illustration of roasted sweet potatoes are printed on the package. While the classic Yuzu flavor is their signature sweet,  a truly diverse range of variations have been released in recent years, showcasing the remarkable versatility of this traditional Shikoku confection.

The faint reddish-purple castella cake evokes the image of sweet potato skin.  Sweet potato paste lies and rolled into the shape of a Japanese hiragana,  “の”.

The texture of the sweet bean paste is like a sweet potato yōkan, and seems to be a good match with castella sponge cake.

Indeed, this traditional Shikoku tart style seems to pair perfectly with just about anything. The moist castella sponge and the sweet potato’s subtle, natural sweetness are an outstanding combination.