This is my first experience with yamaimo, mountain yam or slippery potato – I will affectionately call it the snot potato. Recipes for Japanese Pizza or Okonomiyaki call for a tablespoon or more of grated snot potato and grating it produces a thick mucilage which makes okonomiyaki pancakes more stretchy and elastic. See the video for proof of snottiness. On our recent trip to Boston to shop the Asian markets, we came home with a 4″ piece of yamaimo and were able to use it to cook okonomiyaki.

As far as I can tell the snot potato doesn’t have any noticeable taste or smell. But it did make our okonomiyaki more elastic and gave it a chewy texture.

Thanks to Gypsy Swing Revue for the music.