Taste Education Program No.4
"Okinawan Foods"

Okinawa, the southernmost prefecture of Japan, offers exotic food and a
culture rich with traditional music, costumes and dance. As a subtropical
island, the variety of fish, fruits and vegetables is different from what
is found in mainland Japan.

The Slow Food organization is dedicated not only to the preservation of
locally produced products, but also to the nurturing of children, via
"taste education". By allowing students to smell, touch and taste new
foods, we broaden their opinions on the generous offerings of the world.

The Slow Food Suginami Convivium, in a Tokyo suburb, regularly sponsors
tasting events at a local elementary school. In March we presented the
exotic food of Okinawa, which has recently enjoyed a great bit of
publicity as the result of a television program, Churasan.

Okinawans are known for living long lives. Many factors contribute to
this, the weather, the relaxed atmosphere and of course, the diet. The nutrient rich food of Okinawa includes tropical fruits, a variety of seaweed and seafood. Even the local spirit, awamori, is considered a major contributor to a healthy lifestyle.

The class began with an exploratory section with Iwamoto-san from the
Okinawa Soko store. His store offers Okinawan products in the western
suburb of Tokyo. The kids sampled sato kibi, (sugar cane), young rakkyo (a
scallion that is pickled), and pork. In Okinawa, every part of the pig is consumed, from the head to the feet. Pork is rich in collagen. The students tried the pig`s ear, face and tongue. Pig`s foot is also popular in Okinawa.

Chef Takahashi, is the chef-owner of Dachibin, an Okinawan restaurant. He
also happens to be a graduate of the local elementary school where the
event was held. The menu consisted of:

Goya champuru

Aosa soup

Sata andagi doughnuts

Champuru is a generic term for stir fry. Goya is the famous, funny-looking
bitter melon that may be Okinawa`s most famous vegetable. Chef Takahashi`s goya champuru consisted of shimadofu, goya, carrots, scrambled eggs, corn, salt, pepper and a bit of soy sauce for aroma. Shimadofu is tofu made on the island of Okinawa (shima is Japanese for "island"). It is different from other tofu as twice as many soybeans are used to produce it so it is rich in nutrients and dense in texture.

Aosa is a type of seaweed, similar to nori, but much more delicate,
although rich in flavor and nutrients. The recipe was nothing more than water, aosa, shima dofu and a can of tuna!

Sa-ta Andagi Doughnuts are dense, sweet, and of course, deep-fried.
Ingredients are simply eggs, flour, sugar and baking soda. I don`t believe
that these are an integral part of the Okinawa diet, but popular
nonetheless.