Going Places — Okinawa

When I imagine ‘Okinawa’, I’m picturing a scenic ocean view in front of me with the wind brushing across my face. My thoughts are occupied by the blue waters and nothing is bothering me. This is my impression of the life I can have in Okinawa.   Image from Visit Okinawa Japan In an excerpt on the Official Okinawa Travel Guide, it talks about the longetivity of the people living in the Ogimi Village in Okinawa. To no surprise, concepts such as healthy foods like tofu, vegetables, “mineral-rich” diets popped up. Their lifestyle is also coined as “without worry or hurry”, an important attribute to the relaxing and calm nature of their lives. As seen in the picture, official websites like to use images of the clear blue skies and oceans to create an image of a beautiful holiday spot. They also like to emphasise on the natural aspects of Okinawa such as its beaches and waters.  While this leads me to believe that it’s the physical aspects of Okinawa (the scenery, food, lack of a ‘...

  When my Dad went on a business trip to Okinawa, he brought back a pack of vacuum-sealed Rafute Pork and some Sea Grapes. To explain it simply, Rafute Pork is a type of braised pork cooked in brown sugar and soy sauce, originating from Okinawa.  Image from Japan Taste Since I had some instant Japanese ramen at home, I decided to cook up a concoction of the Rafute Pork, Sea Grapes, and noodles (which is very unauthentic BTW) and it tasted amazing. However, the Rafute Pork tasted slightly different from the type of braised pork that I was used to. Since braised pork originated from China, my family is used to eating Chinese-style braised pork, which has a more savoury and herby taste. In Jonas’ article, they stated how “It is a well-rehearsed lament of the new migrant that they at tenant to find key dishes or ingredients like those from ‘home’.” I believe that, in Okinawa, they utilised native ingredients such as brown sugar to put their own twist into this dish. This was why t...