The 3 ‘R’s to good eating – Restaurants, Reviews & Recipes

4-page pullout STRIPES OKINAWA E OF OK AUGUST 19 − SEPTEMBER 1, 2021 AST INAW A T 2 A t to eat in Okinawa: Wha The H awaii of BY HUI SUM PING, J off OOkinawa’skik nanawwa’ss llocationocatioi n anaandnd hihhistoricaliststororicicalal bbackground.acckgkgrorounund.d. apan BYFOOD OkinawaOkOkininawwa PrefecturePrP efe ecectut rere cconsistsono siiststs ofo mmoreorore thtthanhanan 11505050 iis-s- landsandds in tthehehe EEastasa t ChChinainina SeSea,ea,a bbetweenettweweene TTaiwanaiiwawan anaandd JaJJa- hat comes to your mind when you think pan’san’n s HoHHonshunsshuh iisland.sll d TThanks to the tropical climate, about what to eat in Okinawa? Ishigaki beef? VIEW W vast beaches, and coral reefs, as well as the Ryukyu Okinawa ramen? Okinawa pineapple prod- Kingdom’s history, there are lots of delicious dishes VIDEO ucts? In Okinawa, most of the local dishes are very dif- in Okinawa during each of the four seasons, from hot ferent from other traditional Japanese dishes because food to cold desserts.

Source: Shutterstock - Chiristumo Source: Shutterstock - bonchan Source: Shutterstock - K321 1. Okinawa Soba 2. Rafute 3. Goya Chanpuru

Okinawa soba, also known as Okinawa ramen, is a Rafute (braised “pork cubes”) is another local dish Goya chanpuru is a kind of Okinawan bitter melon kind of noodle that is generally thick like udon, and of Okinawa Prefecture. It is made with skin-on pork stir fry, mainly made with stir-fried vegetables, pork, slightly twisted. It is a local specialty dish of Okinawa belly stewed in soy sauce and brown sugar. During and tofu. Prefecture that uses noodles made in a process de- the Ryukyu Dynasty, the Chinese pork dish “Tong Po Bitter melon (“goya”) is known as the “king of rived from Chinese noodle-making. It is easy to find Lo” was introduced to the Ryukyu kings, who loved it summer vegetables” and is very rich in vitamins. It in most local restaurants in different areas of Okinawa so much that it became one of their court dishes. One is said that one of the reasons why many people in There are also regional styles of Okinawa soba. For of the characteristics of the dish is the use of awamo- Okinawa live long lives is because they often eat bit- example, if you order this Okinawan dish on Ishigaki ri (an alcoholic beverage indigenous and unique to ter melon, a traditional food in Okinawan cuisine. You Island and the other Yaeyama Islands, you’ll find they Okinawa) in the cooking process. One recommended can find this Okinawa bitter melon dish easily in most have thin, straight noodles. The Okinawa soba of the spot to try this dish is Yuunangii (Ώ͏ͳΜ͍͗ ) located local restaurants in Okinawa. Yaeyama Islands is called Yaeyama soba. The buck- in Naha. Check out Goya: 3 Easy Japanese Bitter Melon wheat noodles of Miyako Island are also thin and flat Recipes for Summer to learn how to cook goya chan- without any shrinkage, and are called Miyako soba be- puru and other bitter melon dishes! cause of the unique characteristics of the ingredients and the way they are arranged.

Source: Shutterstock - Liiy.photo Source: Shutterstock - watzon Source: Shutterstock - sasazawa 4. Ishigaki Beef 5. Umibudo 6. Taco Rice

When it comes to what to eat in Okinawa, Ishigaki Umibudo means “sea grapes” in Japanese. In Oki- Taco rice is an Okinawan dish consisting of rice beef should be a must-try dish on your list. Ishigaki nawa Prefecture, it has been eaten for a long time and topped with ingredients from the Mexican-American Island is one of the most popular tourist destinations is sometimes called “green caviar” because style taco dish, served with a tomato-based in Okinawa Prefecture and boasts Ishigaki beef, a of its shape. Umibudo is eaten raw, dipped in salsa. It was first created in 1984 in Kanatake brand of beef raised in the warm and natural envi- soy sauce and vinegar as a sauce. Town, Okinawa Prefecture. It has become a ronment unique to Ishigaki Island. Umibudo is also used as a garnish for popular dish in the prefecture and has been Ishigaki beef refers to pure Japanese black cattle sashimi. It is also eaten as umibudo-don used in school lunches since the 1990s. that have been produced and raised in the Yaeyama (umibudo rice bowl) on a bed of rice topped The rice is with minced meat or dry curry area with a certificate of registration and produc- with sanbaisu vinegar, or as umibudo soba in the way it is eaten. It is usually served with tion history. The cattle must have been fattened and (buckwheat noodles) without seasoning. If a tomato-based red salsa, but sometimes to- managed in the Yaeyama area for approximately 20 marinated in a seasoning solution for a long mato ketchup is used in place of salsa at popu- months or more after birth. time, the umibudo beads will shrivel up. lar restaurants and bento shops. Check out our post on Ishigaki Island for restau- rant recommendations, including places to try Ish- igaki beef, and things to do! AUGUST 19 − SEPTEMBER 1, 2021 E OF OK STRIPES OKINAWA AST INAW A T 3 A

Source: Shutterstock - flyingv3 Source: Shutterstock - Princess_Anmitsu Source: Shutterstock - Liza888 kinawa Pineap 7. Mimiga 8. Sata Andagi 9. O ple eam / Hy Ice Cr ouka Mimiga (pig’s ear) is an Okinawan dish made from Sata andagi (Okinawan donuts) is a type of deep- Okinawa is famous for pineapples so there are a lot seasoned, thinly cut pig’s ears. The pig’s ears are fried sweet from Okinawa Prefecture. It is a spherical of pineapple products to try. The pineapple-flavored boiled or steamed and cut into strips. fried doughnut made of sweet batter. It is considered ice cream or hyouka (ice) are both worth a try. Espe- Mimiga is eaten as a vinegared dish, often with to be a good luck snack and is served at weddings and cially in summer, these pineapple treats are suitable sauces such as ponzu, vinegared miso, peanut miso, other celebrations. Because of the sugar content, the for cooling off in Okinawa’s hot weather. or just salt. It is characterized by the crunchy texture small size of the air bubbles in the crumb, and the In Okinawa, you can taste different flavors such as of the cartilage, similar to that of hardened jellyfish. density of the dough, it is a confection that is satisfy- bitter, sweet, and salty; and enjoy a variety of texture, It is high in collagen and is considered beneficial for ing and filling, with a crunchy surface. from popping umibudo to crunchy mimiga. If you are health and beauty. When mimiga is eaten cold, it is In addition to being made at home, sata andagi are thinking about what to eat in Okinawa, mark these lo- often called mimiga sashimi. The texture is crunchy also sold at tempura stores, on street corners, and in cal specialty dishes down so you can try them on your and chewy. markets, especially in Okinawa shopping streets such trip to Okinawa! as Ishigaki City Public Market. When sold in stores, the type made with refined sugar are called “white” and those made with brown sugar are called “black.”

Browse food experiences in Okinawa (https://www.byfood.com/okinawa-food-experiences) and check out our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/JapanbyFood/videos)to follow along on our food adventures in Japan!

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Stores beckon on first level of the Makishi Public Market.

Restaurants and eateries on the second level. MakishiMore seafood! Public Market Enjoy Okinawa’s traditional food in this Naha market

STORY AND PHOTOS BY JACLYNN SEAH, wet market of sorts where vendors sell JAPAN TRAVEL fresh produce and seafood. It is air-con- ditioned, a nice respite from the humid- good place to sample some tra- ity, and you are greeted with a cacopho- ditional Okinawan delicacies is ny of voices encouraging you to look and Athe Makishi Public Market. A sample their wares. small, two story building located just off Fresh seafood is one of the main NahaNaha’s s famous KokusaKokusaii drawsdraws ooff thithiss marmarket,ket and you will see ststreet.reet. ThThee firfirstst rowsrows of tanks filled withw spindly crabs flflooroor isis a andand spspinyiny llobsters,obster or bulging fish eyes popokingking out from mounds of ice. JustJu looking at the varietyvariety of sea creatures on displaydi is a marvel inin itself. One thing that’stha popular as well is to pick out your Live crabs and lobsters in tanks for sale. favoritef seafood, and then have it restaurants of various sizes serving brought to the up all manner of local cuisine. It is a great place to rest your legs and grabab restaurants up- GoyaGoya beer and stairs for a small some sustenance after a tiring day walk-k Hirayachi are acquired fee, where your ing through the markets. Many of these tastes.

catch is freshly restaurants are tourist friendly with preparedp for you. English or Chinese translations on their BesidesB seafood, menu, or conveniently have pictures for different stores. One of the more unusu- there’sthe also meat - you to point at. al things I tried here was Helios Goya porkpork in particular. Oki- I could not leave the market without Dry, a beer produced in Naha that is nawan’snawan are famous for having a sashimi set lunch that came tinged with its famous bittergourd-like eatingeating ppractically all parts with a neatly plated array of super fresh Goya. Beer is bitter to begin with, so the ofof the pig,pig, which can also be fish, shellfish and prawns that were distinctly Goya aftertaste was not too foundfound here, as well as seasonal probably procured from the market strange. It was here that I also sampled locallocal vegetablevegetable produce. place below, one of the best meals I had Hirayachi, a flat pancake-like side dish FreshFresh sashimi!sashimi! TheThe secondsecond levellev is filled with in Okinawa. Take the time to try out the that I had with my beer.