Kalim-aw Kamote: Philippines' answer to Japanese sweet potato

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October 19, 2026 | 2:29pm

MANILA, Philippines – So much for the trending Japanese sweet potato that made Pinoy foodies buy “simple” baked kamote for quite a steep price to try it and end up saying it is worth its expensive price, after all. The Philippines has found its answer to the Japanese kamote trend that introduced their palate to rich, sweet and creamy Yaki Imo (baked or roasted sweet potato) as a snack.

For a time, there seemed to be no alternative to Japanese sweet potato. If you wanted it, you have to buy it either in its cooked form or raw at P250 to P500 per 500 grams to one kilogram, depending on the seller. It is the Satsumaimo variety, which has red purple skin with a pale cream interior that turns creamy yellow when cooked. It is very sweet and has a nutty dimension to its flavor profile.

Now, a Filipino-grown sweet potato presents itself as the Philippine answer to the Japanese sweet potato. It’s called Kalim-aw kamote and is available via online specialty food stores, community markets on weekends, and select supermarkets, where you can buy it at P150 to P350 per kilogram.

Grown in Bukidnon in Mindanao, it is a rare indigenous sweet potato that has a brilliant orange flesh, especially after cooking, and is loaded with beta-carotene. Compared to other varieties of local kamote available in the market, Kalim-aw is exceptionally sweet, tasty, creamy, and smooth. It has a non-stringy texture, too, which makes it highly prized.  

You can bake, steam, boil or roast it to turn it into a true blue Yaki Imo. The best way is to keep it naked or wrap it in aluminum foil and then oven-bake or roast it at a low temperature to allow the amylase enzyme present in the sweet potato to break down some starches into sugar while it is cooking and give it a more caramelized sweetness.

You can also cook it in an oven toaster. But if you are cooking just a few pieces and slow cooking the sweet potato requires 45 to 60 minutes of cooking time, you might want to consider steaming the sweet potato instead and then slicing it in half horizontally and pan-grilling it a bit afterwards. You can even brush or spread a little butter on the sliced side and then scoop the orange flesh straight into your mouth for a good, creamy and buttery mouthful.

Kalim-aw sweet potato is a healthy, nutritious and delicious snack that you can enjoy at any time of the day.

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