“Unagiimo” is a Hamamatsu-produced sweet potato that is grown using powdered fertilizer made from the remains of eel bones and heads left over from the processing of eels.
The aged “eel sweet potato” increases its sweetness by baking it, reaching a sugar content of about 40 degrees.
Sweets such as pudding, soft serve ice cream, and dorayaki that make use of the original ingredients are very popular. You can purchase the products at the Unagiimo Store stores in Hamamatsu Station, Hamanako Service Area, Togoshi Ginza Shopping District in Tokyo, and some products can be purchased by mail order.
▲Unagiimo Store Hamamatsu Station Store
▲Unagiimo Store Hamanako Service Area Store
This month’s recommended sweets will be introduced using “Unagiimo”🍦
Mr. Takuma Ito, who developed “Unagiimo”, is in charge of the recycling department that composts pruned branches at “Cosmo Green Niwayosho”, a landscaping company in Minami Ward, Hamamatsu City.
While selling compost, Mr. Ito realized that there were few people involved in agriculture and that there was a lot of abandoned farmland, and he thought, “Is there a system that can make agriculture profitable and continue farming?”
Why not utilize Hamamatsu’s specialty “eel” in agriculture? With this idea in mind, we started cultivating sweet potatoes by using eel residue, which would normally be thrown away, as powdered fertilizer.
Since then, we have succeeded in creating a brand of “Unagiimo” that emphasizes the uniqueness of Hamamatsu, and are now developing a business that covers everything from cultivation of fresh potatoes to the 6th industry of processed products.
In 2013, we established the Unagiimo Cooperative to create an environment where producers and processors can work with peace of mind. Mr. Ito continues to support Unagiimo as the chairman of the Unagi-imo cooperative.
The production scale of Unagiimo has expanded year by year, and currently about 230 tons of eel potatoes are produced annually in a field of about 10 hectares.
In addition to processed products, we also export raw potatoes to overseas countries such as Taiwan and Hong Kong, and are working to increase the number of fans of Hamamatsu brand sweet potatoes, Unagiimo overseas.
Eel residue, which is usually thrown away, contains many ingredients necessary for sweet potato growth.
Among them, zinc and manganese contained in eel residue are ingredients that can be expected to give sweet potatoes a deep sweetness. Delicious sweet potatoes are grown through the synergistic effect of nutritious eel fertilizer and sandy soil suitable for sweet potato cultivation.
Furthermore, the sweetness of the harvested “Unagiimo” increases when they are stored in a special storage facility for more than two months. We manage our products according to our association’s own standards to ensure consistent quality, so we can deliver products with consistent taste.
Unagiimo’s character “Unamo” is so popular that he has a fan club!
It has a cute expression and is also used as a motif for souvenirs.
5th place Golden Kiwami Potato
2017 [Fuji no Kuni New Product Selection] Gold Award Winner.
Sweet potatoes without additives. The “Goku” potato, which is made by slowly baking honey-filled sweet potatoes with butter, fresh cream, etc., has a stable taste and has had many fans since its release☆
4th place Unamochi
These are sweets with the motif of “Unamo”, the PR ambassador for “Unagiimo”. The chewy rice cake is filled with eel, potato and soy milk cream, giving it a cool and chewy texture. The cuteness that looks great on SNS can also be enjoyed with your own eyes.
3rd place: Unagiimo dorayaki
Dorayaki filled with sweet potato paste can be stored at room temperature, so it is also recommended as a souvenir. A delicious dish that makes use of eel and potato ingredients☆
2nd place: Unagiimo pudding
Rich sweet potato pudding with no additives.
Plenty of eel and sweet potatoes are carefully pasted by hand and mixed into the dough, giving the pudding a smooth texture that resembles a sweet potato. Gentle sweetness that makes you want to eat it every day ◎
1st place: Unagiimo Mont Blanc Soft
100% pure Unagiimo Mont Blanc is freshly squeezed on top of rich eel and potato soft serve ice cream!
The sweetness of eel and potato honey with a sugar content of over 40% intertwines with the rich soft serve ice cream to create an exquisite sweet. The taste has been upgraded by adding roasted sweet potato powder and Mongolian rock salt, which goes perfectly with the eel and potatoes, to finish the dish.
“Unagiimo” is working with the aim of increasing farmers’ income and revitalizing the region. If everyone enjoys the food and supports us, we will get closer to our goal. We appreciate your continued support, little by little.
This month’s recommended sweets are sweets made with the sweet and delicious Hamamatsu brand sweet potato “Unagiimo” 🍮 Some products are also available for purchase through mail order. Please check our website for more details! !
・Unagiimo Store Hamamatsu Station Store
May One West, 6-1 Sunayama-cho, Naka-ku, Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture
Business hours: 8:00-21:00 (open all year round)
・Unagiimo Store in TOKYO
1-5-5 Toyomachi, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo
Business hours: 10:30-19:30 (occasionally closed on irregular holidays)
Access: Across from Togoshiginza Milk Shop
9 minutes from Togoshi Station on the Toei Asakusa Line
11 minutes walk from Togoshi Ginza Station on the Tokyu Ikegami Line
14 minutes walk from Osaki Station on the JR Yamanote Line
・Unagiimo Store Hamanako Service Area Store
Sakume, Mikkabicho, Kita Ward, Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture
Business hours: 11:00-19:00 (open all year round)
[Official homepage]
[Mail order eel potato STORE]
[Unagiimo Store TOKYO Instagram]
「https://www.instagram.com/unamo_imo/」
[Unagiimo Store Hamamatsu Station Store Instagram]
I want to get it even if I have to wait. Cutlery made in the mountains of Tenryu and recognized by world-class restaurants.
As people spend more time at home, more and more people are becoming particular about cooking. Perhaps because people want to show off their delicious food, tableware and cutlery designed to look good on social media are popular.
Did you know that in the mountains of Tenryu Ward, Hamamatsu City, cutlery is made that not only looks good on social media but is also comfortable to use? It has been recognized by world-renowned restaurant chefs, and was used to accompany the food at rival restaurant gaku in the fall 2019 drama “Grand Maison Tokyo” starring Mr. Takuya Kimura.
[At the workshop. Blue bean plate, cutlery (spoon and fork), new round plate]
This is the work of Mr. Roberto Jun Yuasa, who has a workshop in Tenryu Ward.
When I first saw it on Instagram, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the words “#woodworking” and “#woodcarving” in the tags. This was because it was so different from the warm image of wooden cutlery that I had until then. Although I had no interest in wooden tableware, I was fascinated by the quiet works that seemed hard and cold at first glance. This is because the photos showed spoons and forks that were so delicate and delicate that it was hard to believe they were carved from wood.
Actually, I’m conflicted between wanting to introduce him and wanting to keep it a secret. Because I haven’t been able to get one myself yet. On exhibition days in Hamamatsu City, more than 20 people line up from the morning, and the works are so popular that they sell out in seconds when sold online.
It’s been two years since I learned about him through his photos, but I had the opportunity to see his work in person for the first time.
Sausage making experience where you can learn about passion and commitment
In the Hamamatsu/Lake Hamana area, there are many people who share their enthusiasm through a variety of experiences. Is this a challenge that comes from a “Yaramaika spirit”?
Today, Sea Lake HAMANA Jenne and her friends came to the butcher shop “Tonkii” in Hosoe, Chuo Ward, Hamamatsu City. Just from the name, it seems like you can eat delicious meat.
This time, we started with a sausage making experience. After putting on an apron and getting ready to cook, the president first explained about Tonkii’s meat. The president enthusiastically tells us about the meat, what kind of feed is given to the pigs, and what kind of meat is produced from it. The idea behind this experience was that he wanted to share with the people who eat the food things that only those close to him knew about. Jenne and the others listened to his enthusiasm with serious eyes.
My own reward trip to heal the fatigue of everyday life①
When my fatigue reaches its peak, I want to escape from everyday life and go on a trip. Having said that, I somehow feel restless when I go on a trip with someone else. That’s right, let’s go on a reward trip just for me! That’s what I thought.
The journey begins on the Tenryu Hamanako Railway. Start from Shinjohara Station and look out at Lake Hamana from the train window. The Tenryu Hamanako Railway is famous for its beautiful scenery, but there are other interesting points as well. There are a wide variety of restaurants within the station building and adjacent areas. At Shinjohara Station, there is a shop called “Station Eel Shop Yamayoshi” that sells eel bento, and you can also eat it on the train. There are also many stylish shops such as Granny’s Burger, a Mikkabi beef burger shop, at Mikkabi Station, and Piazza, a stone oven pizza shop at Kanasashi Station.
A great solo trip. I can’t help but want to pack my schedule in, but my purpose today is to do nothing. There are places where you can have that luxury. While riding the train, we arrived at the station hotel “INN MY LIFE” at Futamata Honmachi Station on the Tenryu Hamanako Railway.