When it comes to seasonal flavours, no country is more on the ball than Japan. In the next few weeks, as the weather starts to subtly change, you’ll suddenly see all kinds of autumn-appropriate tastes appearing in shops, cafes and restaurants. An ingredient which is absolutely synonymous with autumn at this point, is the sweet potato.

Every year, Japanese doughnut chain Mister Donut releases a range of delicious, sweet potato-orientated treats. They use the clever moniker of ‘Satsumaimo-de’, a mix of ‘satsumaimo’ the Japanese word for sweet potato, and the French word ‘mode’. For this year's lineup, some old favourites have been revamped and some new contenders are appearing.

For the 'Mitsu Imo' doughnut, not only has the taste of a sweet potato been replicated, but also the soft and moist texture.

There’s few things more heavenly than potato and butter, so this classic combo can be found in the 'Mitsu Imo Butter Flavour' doughnut.

'Beni Imo' takes on the image of the purple sweet potato, with a beni-imo glaze and sesame seed topping.

'Daigaku Imo', which means ‘university potatoes’ are a popular candied sweet potato snack. The sweet glaze is based on this ever-popular treat, and the doughnut has been sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Lastly, this doughnut is simply called the ‘Sweet Potato’, taken from the English word for the autumn specialty. Rather than a glaze, this one is topped with a sweet potato cream and a dash of sesame seeds.

These doughnuts can be found at Mister Donut branches in Japan until around the end of November 2021. Each doughnut costs between 140 and 154 yen, with differing prices depending on if you eat in or take out.