There’s no season that Japanese foodies love more than fall. Fall is considered the season when all kinds of produce, fish, rice, and even certain sakes are at their tastiest, so the season is often referred to as “Shokuyoku no Aki” (Autumn of Appetite).
Of course, seasonal desserts are also a big reason many people love fall. That’s why Japan’s favorite donut chain Mister Donut offers a limited-time fall sweet potato donut series every year, and this year they’ve added another enticing fall flavor.
This is the sixth year that Mister Donut has baked sweet potato (satsuma imo in Japanese) donuts, but they’re still working on perfecting it. Called “Satsuma Imo-do,” the sweet potato series mixes real sweet potatoes into the dough, which is a blend of the highly regarded super-sweet Beni Haruka and Anno sweet potatoes. Mister Donut says they tweaked the ratio this year to make the sweet potato donut not only moist, but also a little sticky, just like the feeling when biting into a sweet potato.
The most basic of the bunch is the Satsuma Imo-do Torori Mitsu Imo Mitsu for 172 yen, torori meaning melted or seductively sticky, and mitsu imo being another way of saying sweet potato in Japanese. The doughnut is coated in a sweet potato glaze that’s very rich in flavor.
If you want a little more flavor, go for the Satsuma Imo-do Salty Butter Cream (194 yen), which promises a pleasant, subtle crunch from the salt, plus an extra crunch from the imo kenpi (sugar-coated fried sweet potato) shavings sprinkled on top of the creamy doughnut…
…Finally, the star of the sweet potato trio is the Satsuma Taro Garnished Caramel Brûlée (194 yen), which combines the delicious flavors of a doughnut, sweet potato, and caramelized brûlée.
But sweet potato isn’t the only sweet flavor that’s representative of Japan’s autumn, so this year, Mister Donut will also be launching a chestnut doughnut for the first time.
Dubbed the “Kuri-do” (meaning chestnut), the two donuts look and taste like chestnuts. Pictured above is the Kuri-do Waguri Whip, 237 yen, which is topped with chestnut-flavored icing, sprinkled with golden chocolate chips, and filled with a blend of fresh cream from Kumamoto chestnuts.
Finally, there’s the “Kuri-do Angel and Waguri Bean Paste” (237 yen), which is covered in chestnut-flavored chocolate flakes and filled with Kumamoto chestnuts, whipped cream, and red bean paste.
Despite being touted as part of Mister Donut’s fall menu, the sweet potato and chestnut donut will be available until late October (assuming supplies last until then).
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