U.S. Navy Sailors interact with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force sailors during a naval service language and culture exchange held onboard Commander, Fleet Activities Okinawa White Beach Naval...
Command Master Chief Michael Chadwell, assigned to Commander, Fleet Activities Okinawa, gives a speech during an all hands call at White Beach Naval Facility Feb. 28.
Master-at-Arms 1st Class James Yeske, assigned to Commander, Fleet Activities Okinawa security department, pulls a harbor patrol boat alongside another as his boat returns to CFAO White Beach Naval Facility after a check ride, Dec. 29, 2022.
Boatswain’s Mate 2nd Class Travis Mittelstedt, assigned to Commander, Fleet Activities Okinawa (CFAO) port operations department, left, conducts a spot check with Capt. Patrick Dziekan, right, CFAO commanding officer, at CFAO White Beach Naval Facility, Dec. 29, 2022.
U.S. Navy Sailors interact with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force sailors during a naval service language exchange held onboard Commander, Fleet Activities Okinawa White Beach Naval Facility Dec. 8, 2022
Commander, Navy Region Japan Fire & Emergency Services personnel, assigned to Commander, Fleet Activities Okinawa (CFAO) White Beach Naval Facility, participate in a fire truck parade on Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan, Oct. 7, 2022.
Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4 Seabees, deployed to Camp Shields, Okinawa, clear foliage at the Heshikiya sugar mill park in Uruma, Okinawa, Japan, Oct. 5, 2022.
Sailors assigned to Commander, Fleet Activities Okinawa communicate with sailors assigned to Sub Area Activity Okinawa during a language exchange event Aug. 24 at White Beach Naval Facility.
Logistics Specialist 2nd Class Rodel Antolin, from Fresno, Calif. and assigned to Fleet Logistics Center Yokosuka, Site Okinawa, sits at a forklift for an environmental portrait taken onboard Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan, Aug. 12, 2022.
As a kid, every New Year I would look forward to a sweet jelly called kouhaku kanten. Kanten is a jelly made from boiled tengusa algae and seaweed. It is known for being low-calorie and rich in fiber, so it is often used as a healthy alternative to regular sweets.
Turmeric, or “ukon” in Japanese, is a kind of ginger, known as a spice for Indian curry, and in Japan, it is mostly recognized as a food that can help avoid hangover.
It has been said that food is the soul of a country. This couldn’t be truer for Okinawa. A mix of favorable natural conditions and diverse foreign influences produced unique eating habits and a cooking style that is now known as “Okinawan cuisine”.
