Nothing says fast food in the south of Japan like “tako-raisu!” And 2023 marks the 39th birthday of this signature Okinawan dish, according to local lore.
If you have sampled the traditional sweets of Japan, you might have been surprised how different the tastes – and ingredients that include sweet potatoes, sweet beans and rice - are from Western sweets.
In Japan, everybody loves noodles, and Okinawans are no different. In fact, they’ve got their own regional strand of the classic Asian cuisine – Okinawa soba. It’s not only a local favorite, but the dish of choice for many visitors who come in search of a true taste of Okinawa.
If you think tempura is just another fried food – think again. This quintessential Japanese cuisine dates back to the Edo Period (1603-1867) and is perhaps second only to sushi as Japan’s culinary contribution to the world.
Various specially formulated tempura powders are available at any supermarket or grocery shop. You can cook tempura using any of your favorite ingredients.
Foods like omurice, ton katsu and naporitan spaghetti are items you’ve likely seen on a menu if you’ve ever visited a casual dining restaurant in Japan.
The famous Land of the Rising Sun is known for so many things, it’s hard to even mention them all: culture, history, pop culture, manga, anime, cosplay, sights, architecture...the list could go on and on.
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”.
