Color Me Purple Pie

As someone who emigrated to the States after their formative years, for me, the idea of sweet potato pie is, well, foreign. But as I was browsing for pie-spiration – thanks Pinterest! – a tantalizing purple pie jumped off the page at me.

Further investigation – thanks Google! – revealed that it was a pie made with Okinawan sweet potatoes. Okina-where the heck do I find that?

My pilgrimage to Safeway was a bust, followed by a nonstarter at our local grocer. The Korean market offered a plethora of potato varieties, none purple, as I could tell. Then, on my way out I spotted a new row of bins where I got my prize! Not the Okina-whatever potatoes (which are a antioxidant powerhouse, apparently), but purple sweet potatoes of some sort nonetheless.

While the potatoes cooked, I contemplated the nutmeg-cinnamon option for one hot second, but my Slavic roots took over, and I opted for the fried onions + sour cream fare in pirog dough.

The final product was comfort food at its finest, with its sweet and savory flavors. And how gorgeous is that purple?!