Yoitomake by Mitsuboshi: A Sweet-and-Tart Roll Cake Generously Filled with Hokkaido Haskap

Yoitomake is a famous Hokkaido confection. I bought this one at a Hokkaido fair in Tokyo.

Its understated package looks as though it might appeal more to older shoppers, and my children objected to buying it. Their reaction was understandable because tempting white-chocolate sweets were displayed nearby. Still, I insisted that Yoitomake had been loved for generations and was delicious.

This is an intensely sweet-and-tart roll cake made with generous amounts of haskap, a sour berry grown in Hokkaido.
Haskap is sometimes called the fruit of longevity and is said to be good for the body. Of course, eating too much cake would provide excessive calories and rather defeat that benefit!

Yoitomake by Mitsuboshi

One roll, divided into seven slices, costs 680 yen.

The package has remained unchanged for many years and immediately brings back memories.

It contains 288 calories per 100 grams.

The best-before date is printed on the back and is 35 days from manufacture.

Yoitomake is certainly an unusual name.
As the box explains, it comes from a call once used by workers raising and lowering logs at Tomakomai’s paper mills.
The cake itself is designed to resemble a log.

It also uses haskap berries that grew wild around Tomakomai and were traditionally enjoyed by local residents.
In other words, every aspect of this confection celebrates Tomakomai.
Created in 1953, it has remained popular ever since.

A cake wrapped in edible oblaat film is quite a surprising sight.

It arrives with real impact and genuinely resembles a log. Please forgive the plate being far too small.

The roll is already sliced, so there is no need to make a knife sticky.
I seem to remember that older versions were not pre-cut, and slicing the roll left my hands covered in jam. Even that inconvenience is now a pleasant memory.

Trying Yoitomake Again after Many Years

Time to taste it.

The sweetness and acidity make the mouth pucker pleasantly.
The rich haskap jam has a slightly crystalline texture. If I had to describe haskap, I would compare it to a blueberry made considerably more tart.

Plenty of jam has soaked into the moist sponge, creating a powerful, concentrated flavor.

Cold milk is apparently the recommended accompaniment, and the pairing was excellent.
The gentle richness of the milk balances the sweet-and-sour cake beautifully.

Yoitomake is quite tart, however, so opinions may be divided.
My daughter normally devours cakes enthusiastically, but she ate only one slice. Perhaps this is a flavor aimed more at adults.

Thank you for the treat!

Yoitomake Product Info, Expiration Date, Manufacturer