Sushi and sashimi are similar dishes, but sushi is served on a small ball of rice, while sashimi is served off a dish of rice or by itself. Eating raw fish is a new concept for a lot of Westerners, but sushi and sashimi are really delicious, and once you get over your fear of [...]

Sanmainiku means “three-layered pork” and is served like Soki Soba. An essential element in describing Sanmainiku Soba is Rafute, a classic Okinawan pork dish. A larger version of Sanmainiku, Rafute is simmered for hours with soy sauce, sugar, and awamori. It looks like very fatty meat, but it’s not as fatty as you might imagine. [...]

Most Americans fall in love with yakitori shortly after arriving in okinawa. At festivals you can always spot yakitori vendors� tents, called yatai, cooking small pieces of chicken on sticks and placing them in paper cups like miniature shish kabobs. You�ll also probably notice a long line of Okinawans and foreigners alike waiting for their [...]

Saataa andagii are a typical Okinawan snack flavored with pumpkin or purple sweet potato. There are many saataa andagii specialty shops in okinawa, but among the most popular is Amuro in Shuri, which is particular about using locally produced ingredients and fresh eggs laid at a home chicken farm in northern okinawa. A tulip shape [...]

The instant noodles, popular with the US college students of today, is based off of ramen which was originally a Chinese specialty. Ramen noodles are much thinner than soba, and the soup is different. Bowls of ramen are topped with slices of beef, chicken, ham, bean sprouts, onion or seaweed and are often accompanied by [...]

The introduction of canned pork, or SPAM, from the States to okinawa after World War II resulted in a new style of Okinawan cuisine that is best represented by Pork Tamago (pork and scrambled eggs).
Pork Tamago Onigiri (rice balls), made of Pork Tamago sandwiched in rice and wrapped in nori (seaweed), are available at convenience [...]

Pork is the Basis for Many Local Delicacies
A large percentage of Okinawan meals utilize pork as an essential ingredient. Pork meat contains plenty of vitamin B1, which is a non-saturated fatty acid that helps the body break down cholesterol and proteins. Many scientists suggest that the Okinawan diet is one of the primary secrets to [...]

Although a fruit, papaya is often used as if it were a vegetable. When added to champuru, papaya is cut into thin strips, fried and mixed with carrots and other vegetables as well as with tuna or canned pork. It is then seasoned with salt and soy sauce. Resembling a cut-up potato, papaya is said [...]

okinawa soba is a staple here. If you haven�t tried this delicious meal at least once, you have missed a big part of life on okinawa. Just like nearly everyone else in the Far East, Okinawans eat a lot of noodles, but unlike mainland soba, which is made from buckwheat, okinawa soba noodles are made [...]

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 [...]