Okinawan · Ryukyu Islands · dinner
Baked Beni-Imo with Sesame and Sea Salt
焼き紅芋
Before rice became the everyday grain, purple sweet potato was the caloric backbone of Okinawan life — baked whole until the skin blisters and the flesh turns jammy, then finished with nothing more than a few drops of sesame oil and a pinch of flake salt. This is not a side dish; in the traditional pattern it was the meal, eaten in generous portions alongside miso soup and pickled vegetables.
Scan to log · 66 kcal · 1g protein
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5 min
Cook
55 min
Rest
5 min
Total
65 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
Easy
What you need
Ingredients
purple sweet potatoes (beni-imo / Okinawan sweet potato)
4 medium (about 8 oz each)
4 medium (about 225g each)
Substitution · hard-to-find
Original: beni-imo (Okinawan purple sweet potato). Red garnet yams or Stokes Purple sweet potatoes (Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Asian grocery) are the closest US stand-ins. Standard orange sweet potatoes will taste fine but lack the dense, slightly drier texture and the purple color that signals the anthocyanin content.
toasted sesame oil
1 tsp
5ml
flake sea salt
1/2 tsp
2g
toasted sesame seeds
2 tsp
6g
How to cook it
Steps
- 01
5 min
Heat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Tear four sheets of aluminum foil large enough to wrap each potato fully. Scrub the potatoes well under cold water — the skin is edible and you want it clean. Pat dry. Active time: about 5 minutes.
- 02
55 min
Wrap each potato individually in foil, folding the seams tight so no steam escapes. Place them directly on the center oven rack (or on a baking sheet if you prefer easy cleanup). Bake 45 to 60 minutes. Start checking at 45 minutes by squeezing the potato through the foil with an oven mitt — it should give completely, with no firm core. Larger potatoes may need the full 60 minutes or a few minutes beyond. Active time: 2 minutes to wrap; the rest is hands-off.
- 03
5 min
Remove from the oven and let the wrapped potatoes rest 5 minutes on the counter. This lets the steam finish the job and makes them easier to handle. Do not skip this — the interior is still actively cooking.
- 04
3 min
Unwrap each potato and split lengthwise with a knife. Use a fork to gently fluff the flesh open. Drizzle each potato with about 1/4 teaspoon of sesame oil — use a light hand, you want fragrance, not grease. Pinch a little flake salt over the top, then scatter the toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately. Active time: 3 minutes.
Chef notes
Notes & variations
If your potatoes are very large (over 10 oz / 280g), cut them in half crosswise before wrapping — this cuts bake time to about 35–40 minutes and ensures even cooking all the way through.
The foil wrap is traditional for this preparation because it traps steam and produces a moister, more evenly cooked result than an unwrapped bake. If you prefer slightly caramelized skin, unwrap the foil for the last 10 minutes.
In Okinawa this would typically be served alongside a bowl of miso soup with tofu and wakame, and a small dish of pickled vegetables (tsukemono). That combination — starch, fermented broth, pickled vegetable — is the structural dinner pattern, not a side-dish arrangement.
Toasted sesame seeds: if you can only find raw sesame seeds, toast them yourself in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, shaking the pan constantly, until golden and fragrant. Watch carefully — they go from golden to burnt quickly.
Leftovers keep well. Cold baked beni-imo is excellent sliced and eaten the next morning with a cup of sanpin-cha (jasmine tea), which is exactly how Okinawan households would have used them.
Per serving
Nutrition
Calories
66
Protein
1.1 g
Carbs
11.6 g
Fat
1.9 g
Fiber
2 g
Sugars
2.2 g
Sat fat
0.2 g
Sodium
224 mg
Minerals & vitamins
Potassium
197 mg
Calcium
32 mg
Iron
0.6 mg
Magnesium
5 mg
Vit D
0 IU
Vit B12
0 mcg
Cholesterol
0 mg
Glycemic profile
GI
76.6
GL
8.9
Storage
How long it keeps
Fridge
4 days
Freezer
2 months
Room temp
2 hours
Reheating · Reheat covered to preserve texture.
Source: foodkeeper
Real products
Where to buy
Real grocery products surfaced via Open Food Facts. Click a product to see its OFF page (ingredients, allergens, Nutri-Score breakdown).
toasted sesame oil
flake sea salt
toasted sesame seeds
