Okinawa Cuisine

My experiences with Goya champuru, Rafute, soba noodles, Tofuyo, Mimiga in Okinawa

Okinawa is Japan’s southernmost prefecture. Owing to its location, it has a complex history that has influenced its cuisine. The Okinawan cuisine is meat-based (specifically, pork) although it features a lot of herbs, tropical vegetables, fruits, and spices. Here are some of the more popular Okinawan dishes:

Goya Champuru

Goya champuru is Okinawa’s signature dish. Like its name, Champuru (something stir-fried) suggests, this meal has several variants of which the goy champuru is the most popular. It consists of Goya (bitter melon), tofu, pork, spam, and eggs.

#1 Spot: OKINAWA IN MEGURO!

Having heard about this so much, I finally got to taste the Okinawan cuisine. As folks described it, it was different than what I had over the time in Tokyo. I believe I tasted Goya Champuru as dishes served had a heavy hand on ingredients such as bitter Goya Melon, fried sweet and spicy fish, crunchy-zesty Umibudo seaweed しまだこ（Something between an octopus and an eel) and special Tuna from Okinawa (沖縄美ら海まぐろ). I look forward to trying more in Okinawa.

You can find a way to this place by following the map in the link below:

http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1316/A131601/13027409/ You can thank me later for this experience.

Another Goya Champuru experience in Shibuya worth mentioning.

#2 OKINAWAN LUNCH IN HIKARIE, SHIBUYA

Hikarie in Shibuya served some delicious Goya champuru to us. It was loaded with Okinawan delicacies such as, Bitter melons, fresh fish, seaweed soup.

Apart from that there are other famous dishes in Okinawan Cuisine such as:

Rafute

Rafute is made from juicy portions of pork belly that are allowed to slowly boil in soy sauce and glazed with brown sugar.

Okinawa soba

Okinawa soba noodles are firm, slightly chewy and are eaten with broth made from pork, bonito fish flakes and konbu (kelp). It is often topped with Soki (slow-cooked spare ribs) and garnished with pickled ginger and scallions. Yummy!!!!

Tofuyo

Tofuyo is served as tiny, two-centimeter cubes that are eaten with a toothpick-like utensil. It has a creamy, sake-like sweetness and goes well with awamori (a local drink). A vegetarian option for people who do not like to eat too much meat or are simply vegetarian.

Mimiga

Mimiga is simply thinly cut pig’s ear that is boiled or steamed and usually seasoned with a ponzu sauce, salt or a peanut dressing.