When I was in Osaka, it was by chance that I happened to come across a fantastic little bakery that specialises in sweet potato-based pastries. My boyfriend and I were transferring subway lines at Osaka Station when I got wind of a sweet and familiar aroma wafting through the station. Sweet potato!
I was able to trace the smell to small shop, like some sort of human basset hound. To my surprise and pleasure, all the pastries inside were made with sweet potato. With far too many choices in front of me and being a bit on a time crunch, my eyes eventually landed on their seasonal item: Christmas Baked Sweet Potato. This item came in two sizes (small & large) and was sold by weight at 330 yen/ 100g. I couldn’t read the description, but with an intoxicating smell and adorable appearance… how bad could it be?
I found that it was made with two layers, the top being a creamy sweet potato and apple mixture and the bottom a creamy baked potato. The top was shrouded in a lightly glazed flakey pastry crust and decorated with a sweet cream cheese drizzle and topped with a chocolate santa or snowman. It was quite possibly the most exquisite sweet potato pastry I’ve ever had. I could taste the potato, apple and sweet potato so clearly. It was sweet, but naturally so. Perfection!
The writing on the storefront was all in Japanese, so it wasn’t until later that I figured out the name, Rapoppo (らぽっぽ). Although it is the only location in Osaka, they have quite a few more in Tokyo (mostly in subway stations). I was in a bit of a rush at the time, so I only had the pleasure of trying one item. I was so smitten, however, that I simply had to share my findings. If you’re any kind of sweet potato lover, you will completely fall in love with this place. I know I will definitely be dropping by one of their locations on my next visit to Japan!
- Website (Japanese Only)
- Shop Locations (Japanese Only)
