Series / Island Blessing, Island taste Part 17 Beni-Imo (Ube)

The hot summer season is slowing fading now.
People started to feel the autumn breeze
in Okinawa Island and missing warm foods.

This tarte is topped with vivid purple colored cream.
"Beni-imo (Ube))" is  used for one of the most popular souvenirs in Okinawa.
The package color of purple gives strong impact to the tourists
and the most of Japanese understand that Beni-Imo are grown in Okinawa.

I am one of them.

This tarte is topped with vivid purple colored cream.
"Beni-imo (Ube))" is  used for one of the most popular souvenirs in Okinawa.
The package color of purple gives strong impact to the tourists
and the most of Japanese understand that Beni-Imo are grown in Okinawa.

I am one of them.

Beni-Imo (Ube) is a kind of potato originally grown
in the West Africa and nowadays grown in all over
the world such as in Asia, Oceania under the tropical climate.

The majority of Beni-Imo in Japan are grown here in Okinawa, especially, middle part of
the island such as in Yomitan village.
However, the fresh Beni-Imo is not allowed to take outside of
the island for quarantine reasons.
Therefore, beni-Imo is processed for sweets such as
 tarte, Chinsuko cookies and pies and sent to all Japan.

Beni-Imo is not so sweet as Sweet Potato, and normally steamed, deep fried
(as Tempura) and fried with soy sauce and sugar(as Kimpira).
 This is a very familiar ingredient in Okinawa.
Beni-Imo (Ube) is also used for ice creams in many sight seeing spot
and very popular among tourists.

This Series introduces a Cake Shop called "Happy Berry" where you can enjoy
delicious Muffins made from Beni-Imo in a different cooking style.



"Happy Berry" is located on a hilltop surrounded
by green nature in Urasoe city.



"Happy Berry" is known as a Supportive Cake Shop to the local people.

As they carefully select the ingredients for cakes and accept various requests from customers,
their attitude are highly trusted from customers,
especially from mothers who are busy taking care of the kids.

Inside the Cafe, there are some antique pendant lights hanging from the ceiling
and recycled old furniture and which make you feel like going back to the old days. 
Here, many female customers enjoy their Afternoon Tea with delicious sweets
and talking with friends.

Reminded of the high season of Beni-Imo,
I came by the Cafe and this Muffin with Beni-Imo and Dark Sugar Crumble appeared to me
as is they knew just what I wanted.



There are sweet potato of beni-Imo and butter sauted Beni-Imo inside the cake.

When Beni-Imo is heated, the color changes to vivid purple.
Before the cake is dressed for a complete cake,
 the purple color is so inviting and you must feel like
picking one bite secretly.



Firstly, squeezed sweet potato portions are baked in the muffin molds in the oven,
and then, baked sweet potato are laid on top. 



After that,  sliced Beni-Imo with butter saute are laid on top.
The Organic Molasses is used for making the rich taste.
Molasses is syrup made from the extracts of sugar canes.
This syrup has a special flavor of dark sugar and contains iron which gives a slight bitterness
in the sweet muffins and enrich the taste.



This is a grateful consideration of this shop for ladies who are lack of iron.
Finally, the Muffins are dressed with dark sugar and wheat crumbles and baked in the oven.



Brown baked Beni-Imo and Dark Sugar Crumble Muffin!
Nice and sweet smell is all around the kitchen.


 

"Would you like some ?" said a lovely waitress and I tried the freshly baked Muffin.

The slight bitterness of dark sugar, the texture of Beni-Imo with butter flavor,
 and the bittersweet　of the organic Molasses perform very well in the mouth.

You can enjoy the each taste of Beni-Imo and Dark sugar in the muffin.
The volume of the muffin is also satisfactory.
You can also take out the Muffin. By heating the Muffin in microwave
and toast in toaster, you can enjoy the same freshly baked taste,
so this is also suitable for souvenir.

This is one of the best recommendable Muffins for the season.
When you go out for a walk in the park in Urasoe, please try their Muffins.

Enjoy Delicious Muffins with Beni-Imo(Ube) and Dark Sugar Crumble.
Happy Berry

Address/ 1-2-8 Nakama, Urasoe city
TEL/098ー943－9814
Open/ 11:00～18:30
Close/ Tuesday, The 2^nd Wednesday

Okinawa CLIP Photo writer monobox Kono