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Kokusai Dori, Naha: A Mecca For Tourists

CONTRIBUTED BY LOUISE DUPUY Kokusai Dori (street) is a hugely popular tourist spot located in Naha, Okinawa’s capital city. The name Kokusai Dori translates to...

The Set Table

CONTRIBUTED BY KELSEY HUGHES I stumbled upon The Set Table accidentally when a friend of mine offered me her meal for the week. The meal...

Sushi-Making Class With Nao

CONTRIBUTED BY GRAZIA SANNA Many foreigners would agree with me if I said that Japanese cuisine is a very tasty and special one – definitely...

Cooking Local: Yuugao – Okinawan Bottle Gourd Curry

CONTRIBUTED BY KELLY GILLOTTI I saw this huge green vegetable, with a sticker price of around $1.75, and decided that I must learn to like...

Cooking Local: Kabocha Squash Thai Curry

CONTRIBUTED BY KELLY GILLOTTI Kabocha (カボチャ) is a winter squash, but it’s often called Japanese pumpkin. I remember seeing it occasionally in the states, but...

Cooking Local: Mashed Beni Imo

CONTRIBUTED BY KELLY GILLOTTI Beni imo (紅いも) may be my most favorite thing about living on Okinawa. Seriously, I love this ‘tater! It’s like a...

Cooking Local: Goya Salad 8 Ways

CONTRIBUTED BY KELLY GILLOTTI So, goya is available here in Okinawa during the summer. Guess what it’s good for? Cooling. The bitter taste of this...

Cooking Local: Shikuwasa Gingerade

CONTRIBUTED BY KELLY GILLOTTI It’s called an Okinawan lime, but I think it’s much tastier than lime. If limes and tangerines had a teeny tiny...

Cooking Local: Urizun Mame-Winged Bean Thai Noodles

CONTRIBUTED BY KELLY GILLOTTI We have the winged bean here, with lots of names like asparagus pea, Goa pea, and Thai green bean. Interesting-looking bean,...

Cooking Local: Fujimame Stir Fry

CONTRIBUTED BY KELLY GILLOTTI I’m enamored with the array of purple vegetables that I find in Okinawan farmer’s markets. One such delight is the fujimame...

Cooking Local: Japanese Ginger Dressing

CONTRIBUTED BY KELLY GILLOTTI If you’ve ever been to a Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant in the states, then you’ve had a taste of this dressing, atop...

Cooking Local: Purple Carrot Salad

CONTRIBUTED BY KELLY GILLOTTI I can’t get enough of purple vegetables. At the farmer’s market recently, I found gorgeous purple carrots. I thought to snatch...

Cooking Local: Tougan Soup

CONTRIBUTED BY KELLY GILLOTTI Winter melon, Ash gourd, Wax gourd, or White gourd … so many names for this guy! So, is it really a...

Cooking Local: Yuzu Sesame Salad with Nasturtium Flowers

CONTRIBUTED BY KELLY GILLOTTI Our garden is overflowing with lettuce, so I brought salad to a recent barbecue. People suspiciously eyed the flowers on top,...

Cooking Local: Okinawan Spinach Curry with Lotus Root

CONTRIBUTED BY KELLY GILLOTTI I picked up some Okinawan spinach, or handama (ハンダマ), recently. There are two varieties; one has a beautiful purple color on...

Cooking Local: Okonomiyaki (Japanese Pancake)

CONTRIBUTED BY KELLY GILLOTTI We spent New Year’s Eve in Kyoto this year with my sister-in-law and her beau. It was beautiful and busy, but...

Kohama no Hachimitsu – Local Honey (小浜のハチミツ)

CONTRIBUTED BY LEVI COLE One of the things I love about Okinawa are the numerous undiscovered local treasures that are often in plain sight. Kohama’s...

The Ribbon Store (Food & Package Ribbon)

CONTRIBUTED BY LEAH MAGID One of the frequently asked questions on “the Facebook” is, “Where can I find ?” Well, if your “item” happens to...

Cooking Local: Pickled Ginger

CONTRIBUTED BY KELLY GILLOTTI I’m on a pickling spree this week! I love pickled ginger, or gari as it’s called in Japanese, and usually ask...

Cooking Local: Goya Chanpuru

CONTRIBUTED BY KELLY GILLOTTI   Goya Chanpuru is an Okinawan classic. Goya (ゴーヤー) is a knobby green bitter melon that is useful during the hot, humid summers...

Cooking Local: Gobo and Carrot Kinpira

CONTRIBUTED BY KELLY GILLOTTI   Gobo (ゴボウ) is the Japanese name for burdock. It’s a root vegetable that has a very pleasant and earthy taste. Kinpira...

Cooking Local: Beni Imo Sweet Potato Cakes with Coconut Chutney

CONTRIBUTED BY KELLY GILLOTTI I made some steamed beni imo (ベニイモ) and was feeling ho-hum about mashed beni imo or a soup. I wanted something...

Cooking Local: Kabocha Ice Cream

CONTRIBUTED BY KELLY GILLOTTI Kabocha (カボチャ)is a type of winter squash, sometimes called a Japanese Pumpkin. Even though it’s called a winter squash, it ripens...

Cooking Local: Dragon Fruit Salad

CONTRIBUTED BY KELLY GILLOTTI Beautiful, simple, and fresh, I always make this salad when I have dragon fruit (ドラゴンフルーツ). You might see these pretty...

Cooking Local: Okinawa Summer Salad

CONTRIBUTED BY KELLY GILLOTTI Well, it’s blazing hot here in Okinawa. Pair the heat with the high humidity and it’s like a never-ending sauna....

Japanese Grocery Stores

CONTRIBUTED BY SHELL BURGER Living off base, I pass a lot of buildings where all the signage is in kanji, so I am normally at...

Local Farmers Markets

CONTRIBUTED BY SHELL BURGER When I first arrived on-island, I was skeptical to buy food and produce off base. After seeing the prices for items at...

Gyoumu Supa – Wholesale Supermarket

CONTRIBUTED BY SHELL BURGER While walking back from my neighborhood farmer’s market, which unfortunately I did not know is closed on Sundays, I decided to stop...

How To Make Sushi Class

CONTRIBUTED BY LAKESHA COLE New to the island, learning how to make sushi rolls from a connoisseur of all things sushi was definitely at the top...

Cooking Local: Hiyashi Cyuka (Cold Chinese Noodles)

CONTRIBUTED BY CALYN PAQUIN Just how many of you crave for a bowl of hot soba noodle soup in the middle of Okinawa’s hot summer...