The endurance of Japan's simple street snack
Eaten right off the coals, yaki-imo (roasted sweet potatoes) are a beloved centuries-old food, whether they're served by old-fashioned street vendors or modern "imo" girls and boys.
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"Yaki-imo…" The forlorn cry of the roasted sweet potato vendor echoed through the canyons of concrete and tiled buildings in a Tokyo suburb. The pre-recorded song, bookended with spoken claims of "oishii, oishii" (delicious, delicious), flowed from speakers on a stubby flatbed kei truck. This small vehicle, a ubiquitous part of working-class Japan, had been converted into a vessel for idōhanbai (literally, mobile sales).
Complete with an oven and an awning, plus a price list and colourful advertising, the truck trundled slowly around the perimeter of a park on a chilly March evening. It paused outside an apartment block, engine idling. A mother and child stopped, and, after a brief exchange with the vendor, they sauntered off with warm sweet potatoes in hand.
The truck lingered a moment longer and then slowly drove on. The song, its rising and falling intonation like a lament, started up again: yaki-imo…
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20220518-japans-beloved-sweet-potato-vendors
https://i.imgur.com/Nz77hp4.jpg
