Japanese sweet potato ice cream season! Häagen-Dazs and Muji take different paths to our hearts

Two completely different ways to make a delicious Japanese autumn dessert .

Now that we’re into the back half of September, we’re ready to switch our sweets snacking into autumn mode.

And just like how farmers are harvesting their sweet potatoes, so too is it time for us to start bringing in Japan’s sweet potato ice creams for taste testing.

Today we’re looking at two ice cream makers with very different approaches.

First, we’ve got Häagen-Dazs , a premium brand that’s very comfortable with adding decadent opulence to its desserts.

But we’re also trying the new sweet potato ice cream from Mujirushi Ryohin , a.k.a.

Muji, the lifestyle chain whose ice cream tends to be simple and understated, much like its furniture and housewares.

So, without further ado, let’s get started.

While Häagen-Dazs Japan brings out seasonal fall flavors on an annual basis, sweet potato isn’t always one of them.

So we’d been getting a little anxious, but on September 15 they released their new Nou Mitsu Imo , or “Rich Sweet Potato,” flavor.

Pop the lid off, and you’re instantly greeted by a luxuriously lustrous glistening gold sweet potato sauce meant to evoke the sweet caramelized juices that ooze out of a freshly roasted sweet potato .

The sauce is made with two of Japan’s most delicious sweet potato varieties, Beni Haruka (the sweetest variety in Japan) and anno imo .

Meanwhile, Mujirushi’s sweet potato ice cream flavor is just called Beni Haruka , and its English name, Sweet Potato Frozen Dessert, is starker still.

That name probably doesn’t have you expecting dazzling visuals, and sure enough, things are pretty plain under the lid. ▼ Hmm…those black dots do look intriguing, though… In terms of visuals, there’s no denying that Häagen-Dazs is more attention-grabbing, and that’s where our spoon went first.