Okinawa

A local dish born in Okinawa: rice topped with taco fillings such as spiced ground meat, cheese, lettuce and tomato, with salsa. It is said to have been created at a restaurant in Kin, home to a US military base, to give American soldiers a cheap, filling meal. Rice and taco fillings go together surprisingly well. It is now so familiar it is served in Okinawan school lunches. Many shops across the prefecture serve it.

Typical price

¥600–1,000

Where

Throughout Okinawa (Kin and around)

An Okinawan favorite: grilled pork luncheon meat and an omelette sandwiched in rice and wrapped in nori. It is a staple breakfast and light meal in Okinawa. The salty pork and gentle omelette go well with rice. Versions with extras such as miso, fried shrimp or bitter melon tempura are also popular. Specialty shops near Naha's Makishi Public Market draw lines. You can also easily buy them at convenience stores. They are perfect for breakfast on a trip.

Typical price

¥250–500 each

Where

Naha and throughout Okinawa

Tacos that spread in Okinawa under the influence of US base culture. Crisp fried tortillas are filled with spiced ground meat, cheese, lettuce and tomato, and topped with salsa. Based on American tacos, they have long been a familiar dish in Okinawa. The crunchy shells, juicy filling and spicy sauce are a fun combination. Try them at shops in Koza (Okinawa City), Kin and elsewhere. They make a great casual meal.

Typical price

¥600–1,000

Where

Okinawa City, Kin and around

The classic Okinawan home dish: bitter melon stir-fried with island tofu, pork or luncheon meat and egg. Champuru means mixed together in the Okinawan language. The slight bitterness of goya, firm island tofu and gentle egg are addictive together. Goya is loved as a nutritious vegetable for getting through hot summers. It is a standard menu item at Okinawan diners and izakaya. It goes well with both rice and awamori.

Typical price

¥700–1,000

Where

Throughout Okinawa

A traditional Okinawan dish of skin-on pork belly slowly simmered with awamori, brown sugar and soy sauce. It is simmered until tender enough to cut with chopsticks, with a melting texture and a rich sweet-savory flavor. It is said to have been eaten as court cuisine in the days of the Ryukyu Kingdom. Awamori softens the meat and removes any odor. Try it at restaurants and izakaya in Okinawa. It is sometimes served on Okinawa soba and goes perfectly with awamori.

Typical price

¥700–1,200

Where

Throughout Okinawa

Okinawa's signature noodle dish. Though called soba, it uses no buckwheat; the thick noodles are made from wheat flour. The broth, made from pork bones and bonito flakes, is light yet rich, topped with pork belly, kamaboko and green onion. The Okinawan way is to change the flavor with pickled ginger or koregusu, chili peppers steeped in awamori. There are countless Okinawa soba shops across the prefecture. Enjoy the differences in noodles and broth from shop to shop.

Typical price

¥600–1,000

Where

Throughout Okinawa

Okinawa soba topped with soki, pork spare ribs simmered sweet and savory. There are nankotsu soki, simmered until even the cartilage is edible, and hon soki, with the bone in. The meltingly tender meat and rich sweet-savory flavor go well with the light broth. Filling and satisfying, it is one of the most popular kinds of Okinawa soba. Many Okinawa soba shops serve it. Adding koregusu chili is also recommended.

Typical price

¥800–1,200

Where

Throughout Okinawa

A seaweed from Okinawan waters, named sea grapes because its tiny beads are clustered like bunches of grapes. It is also called green caviar. In the mouth, the beads pop, with a faint ocean aroma and saltiness. The standard way is to eat it with ponzu or vinegar dressing, and some shops serve sea grape rice bowls. Keeping it in the fridge makes the beads shrivel, so store it at room temperature. Try it at izakaya and restaurants in Okinawa.

Typical price

¥500–1,200

Where

Throughout Okinawa

A traditional Okinawan dish of jimami, peanut, milk mixed with sweet potato starch and kneaded until set. Despite the name tofu, it contains no soybeans. It features a chewy bounce, a smooth texture and the rich, sweet flavor of peanuts. The standard way is to eat it with a slightly sweet soy-based sauce. It is said to have been made as court cuisine in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It is served at restaurants and sold at souvenir shops in Okinawa. Its chewy texture is addictive.

Typical price

¥400–800

Where

Throughout Okinawa

Mimiga means pig's ear in the Okinawan language. Mimiga sashimi is boiled pig's ear cut into thin strips and dressed with vinegared miso, peanut sauce or ponzu. Enjoy the crunchy cartilage and jiggly skin. It represents Okinawa's pork culture, where people are said to eat every part of the pig except its squeal. Low in fat and refreshing, it is perfect with awamori or beer. It is a standard dish at Okinawan izakaya.

Typical price

¥400–700

Where

Throughout Okinawa

In Okinawan, pig's feet are called tibichi. Ashi tibichi is pig's feet simmered for a long time with bonito dashi, awamori and soy sauce. It features meltingly soft skin and a jiggly gelatinous texture. It is often served as a soup simmered with daikon and kelp, or as an oden ingredient. Full of collagen, it is loved by locals. Try it at Okinawan diners and oden restaurants.

Typical price

¥700–1,200

Where

Throughout Okinawa

A traditional Okinawan delicacy: island tofu dried, then soaked in a marinade of red yeast rice and awamori and aged for a long time. It features a vivid red color and a smooth, rich, cheese-like texture. It is said to have been made as court cuisine in the Ryukyu Kingdom, based on a dish from China. The standard way is to scrape off a little at a time with a toothpick and enjoy it with awamori. It is sold at souvenir shops in Okinawa. Even a small amount is intensely flavorful.

Typical price

¥500–1,500

Where

Throughout Okinawa

Okinawa's signature fried sweet. In Okinawan, sata means sugar and andagi means deep-fried. A dough of flour, sugar and eggs is rolled into balls and fried, crisp outside and moist inside. When fried, the surface cracks open like a blooming flower, so it is considered lucky and made for celebrations too. There are also brown sugar and purple sweet potato flavors. They are sold all over Okinawa. They are especially good warm, fresh from the fryer.

Typical price

¥100–200 each

Where

Throughout Okinawa

Okinawa's signature traditional sweet: a baked cookie of flour, sugar and lard. It features a light, crumbly texture and a simple, gentle sweetness. It is said to have been made as a court sweet in the Ryukyu Kingdom. Today there are many flavors, such as salt, brown sugar, purple sweet potato, pineapple and chocolate. Many are individually wrapped and easy to share, making them a classic Okinawan souvenir. They are widely sold at souvenir shops.

Typical price

¥500–1,500

Where

Throughout Okinawa

One of Okinawa's best-known souvenir sweets, made with beni imo, the local purple sweet potato. Vivid purple sweet potato paste is piped into boat-shaped tart shells and baked. Enjoy the natural, gentle sweetness of the potato with the crisp tart. It is said to have been created by a confectioner in Yomitan to promote the village. Its colorful look and Okinawan feel add to its popularity. It is sold at Naha Airport and souvenir shops across the prefecture.

Typical price

¥600–2,000

Where

Yomitan, Naha and around

In Okinawa, zenzai is not warm red bean soup but cold shaved ice. Kintoki beans simmered sweet with brown sugar go into a bowl, topped with plenty of fluffy shaved ice. Enjoy the rich sweetness of brown sugar, the soft beans and the cool ice together. Many shops add shiratama rice dumplings. In hot Okinawa, it is a familiar snack eaten all year. Try it at diners and zenzai specialty shops. It is perfect for a break on a hot day.

Typical price

¥400–800

Where

Throughout Okinawa