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sweet potatoes

Dried sweet potatoes are a processed sweet potato product that is popular among men and women of all ages. Ibaraki Prefecture is the top producer of dried sweet potatoes in Japan. Hitachinaka City, Tokai Village, and Naka City produce most of it.
Dried sweet potatoes are said to have originated in Shizuoka Prefecture, where they were introduced to Japan after Osawa Gonemon saved a ship from Satsuma (now Kagoshima Prefecture) that was in distress. As the cultivation of sweet potatoes spread in Shizuoka Prefecture, a man named Shozo Kuribayashi came up with the idea of boiling sweet potatoes, cutting them into thin slices with a knife, and then drying them. This is said to have been the beginning of "dried taro." Because of its convenience in that it could be eaten at any time and preserved, it quickly spread to the Kanto region.
Later, Terunuma Kantaro, who was lost off the coast of Shizuoka Prefecture, began making dried shiitake in Ibaraki Prefecture from the dried shiitake he had seen in Shizuoka Prefecture. Then, it is said that production of dried taro increased dramatically when Toshichi Yuasa and Kihei Koike, who ran a rice cracker shop in Nakaminato City (present-day Hitachinaka City), began to produce and sell dried taro. At Horide Shrine in Ajigaura, there is a bust of Kibei as the person who popularized "dried sweet potatoes.
Production of dried taro practically stopped after the war, when sweet potatoes replaced other staple foods, but was revived after the war with the encouragement of the prefectural government.

Because the strong winds blowing from the sea are used to dry the taro, the main shipping period is from November to mid-March. However, because it is a preserved food, it is eaten throughout the year. Because the process is simple, sweet potatoes are often made at home, and the sight of sweet potatoes drying under the eaves of the roofs used to be a winter tradition.
Nowadays, sweet potatoes are popular as a snack for children and for snacking when one is hungry.

Steam sweet potatoes, cut them into thin slices, and hang them outside to dry. When the water has evaporated and the sweet potatoes have dried out, it is time to eat them. The simple sweetness and crunchy texture are popular among children. It can be eaten as is for a satisfying meal, but it can also be used in many other ways, such as in kakiage (deep-fried oysters), pound cake, or chiffon cake batter.

Since it is simply steamed, cut, and dried, it is still made at home. Dried taro is also used in school lunches, and people can experience the process of making dried taro.
The variety of dried taro varieties and products available today, from everyday use to high-end gift-giving, is also thought to be a driving force for the continuation of the dried taro tradition.
The "Hitachinaka-Tokai-Naka Hikaimo Council" has been established by farmers who produce dried sweet potatoes, and is making efforts to promote dried sweet potatoes.