According to Katsuyasu Ito, chef and owner of L'Aureole Tanohata, Hidemitsu Kikuchi, is the last person producing imo no kona (potato flour) commercially in Japan.
Working in Tanohata, a tiny village on the Sanriku coast of northeastern Iwate Prefecture, Kikuchi should be heartily applauded for his steadfast work each year to create this local food, which is traditionally made into little dango dumplings or manjū steamed buns. The process to craft this product is both laborious and time-consuming, but the possibilities for the naturally silky and gluten-free flour are endless.
Although a few additional varieties of potatoes are slowly making their way to Japan, the majority of potatoes grown here are either of the May Queen or Danshaku varieties. May Queen are slightly creamy, thin-skinned and oval, while Danshaku are round, a bit starchy and develop a thick skin. Due to their oval shape, which helps Kikuchi thread the potatoes on a string; and their lack of eyes, which speeds up the peeling process, May Queen potatoes are favored over Danshaku for producing potato flour.