Kaisou consists of a variety of dishes including seaweed and sea grapes. There are several types of seaweed here on okinawa, including mozuku (a brown stringy seaweed), aoogonori (a green flat seaweed) and hogounori (a red seaweed). The different types of seaweed are served with a sauce or on salads. Sea grapes (umi budou) are [...]

Okinawan eating habits play a significant role in this “successful aging” phenomenon. One of these habits is linked to an ancient Taoist prescription from the 2,500-year-old “Yellow” Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine advocating limiting dietary intake. In this case, it means limitation of calories. Limiting caloric intake is thought to limit production of DNA-damaging oxygen-free [...]

A member of the melon family, goya was probably brought to okinawa from ancient China during one of the many trade exchanges between the Ryukyu Kingdom (ancient name for okinawa) and the Ming and Manchu dynasties. It is widely available in North America in Chinese markets or Asian food stores, where it’s referred to as [...]

Goya Champuru is one of the most common of champuru. Translated as bittermelon, goya has a green body and bitter taste. When goya is in season during the summer months, its champuru is served at many restaurants. Goya Champuru is made of goya, tofu, pork, eggs, salt and soy sauce. Goya gives the champuru an [...]

Champuru is an Okinawan word that can be translated as a “mix.” Thus, champuru foods are a mixture of various ingredients that are thrown together in a frying pan or wok and fried. A specific champuru is usually named for its main ingredient, although they usually contain several different elements. The most common champuru found [...]

The Yomitan beni imo is a purple sweet potato. Many kinds of processed food use beni imo, such as Japanese-style and Western-style sweets and ice cream. You will see some unattended beni imo stalls on streets running through sugarcane fields. The price is posted, so leave your money and take the beni imo with you. [...]

Awamori Embodies the Spirit of okinawa
In days long gone by as well as now, awamori, or Okinawan liquor, has been praised for its superior quality and rich, robust flavor. Lovers of awamori included residents of Edo (Tokyo), delegations from the royal court of China and other foreigners who traveled to the Ryukyus. Sources indicate that [...]

Typical Okinawan Dishes
Okinawan dietary habits have received a lot of attention lately. Many researchers and otherwise-curious individuals make pilgrimages to the island in hopes of discovering the secret to the famed longevity of its people, and many of them believe that the secret lies in the island’s food. Although that remains to be proven, it’s [...]