Okinawa

[torakris]

I was doing some reading about goya yesterday and came across two ways for storing it. Of course it is best eaten as soon as possible, but when you have a basketful it isn't easy to do...

One place recommended wrapping them in damp paper towels and then placing them into a plastic bag in the refrigeator, the other one recommends cutting them in half lengthwise, removing the seeds, and placing damp paper towels in the hollowed out section and then placing the whole thing into a plastic bag.

[torakris]

as part of our BBQ today I grilled some goya (salted and then blanched first) and served it with a miso-mirin mixture. It was really good and probably the least bitter I have experienced so far.

[torakris]

yesterday I bought this at the supermarket

it is called sarada goya (salad bitter gourd), it is almost white and it quite a bit fatter than the goya I am used to. An internet search didn't tell me much except they are less bitter than regular goya. Anyone ever try this?

[helenjp]

Anyone ever try this?

..No, so be sure to let us know what happens when *you* try it!

[torakris]

Anyone ever try this?

..No, so be sure to let us know what happens when *you* try it!

Ok, last night I had a goya salad! This white goya is slightly less bitter than its green counterpart, but if you don't like the regular goya you won't like this one either...

I mixed it with a cucumber and some cilantro then dressed it with nampla, lime and sugar, a squirt of sriracha made it even better, it was quite adicting and I could have made a main dish out of it maybe with some fish or chicken added.

[Kiem Hwa]

I found a nice article about ingredients used in Okinawan cooking:

http://www.okinawa.com/food_article.html

From here:

"For special occasions, Yamada prepares jimami dofu, a tofu made from ground peanuts, carefully cooked and jelled with potato starch. The white block has a creamy, dense texture reminiscent of an unctuously rich, soft cheese. The nutty flavor is very subtle but not lost beneath the light-colored delicate soy-mirin-dashi-sesame seed sauce with which it is served. "

Has anyone ever tried jimami-dofu? ジーマーミ豆腐, 落花生豆腐

I found these recipes:

http://www.recipehound.com/Recipes/1842.html

http://www.dodo.jp/cooking/jimamidoufu/jimamitofu.html

Next weekend is the Okinawan festival here in Honolulu!

Okinawan restaurants in Hawaii:

http://www.hawaii.rr.com/leisure/reviews/a...9_ocihawaii.htm

[AzianBrewer]

Anyone ever try this?

..No, so be sure to let us know what happens when *you* try it!

Ok, last night I had a goya salad! This white goya is slightly less bitter than its green counterpart, but if you don't like the regular goya you won't like this one either...

I mixed it with a cucumber and some cilantro then dressed it with nampla, lime and sugar, a squirt of sriracha made it even better, it was quite adicting and I could have made a main dish out of it maybe with some fish or chicken added.

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That looks awesome. The Cantonese stir-fried their bitter gourd with rib tips or beef in oyster sauce. The Taiwanese prefers it in soup with rib tips or salad. The Nonya (Malay-Chinese) stuffed it and coat it with black bean sauce.

[torakris]

The Cantonese stir-fried their bitter gourd with rib tips or beef in oyster sauce.  The Taiwanese prefers it in soup with rib tips or salad.  The Nonya (Malay-Chinese) stuffed it and coat it with black bean sauce.

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I was going to stuff it and do the black bean sauce, but didn't have much time last night so I just sauteed some goya with thinly sliced pork and onions in a fermented black bean-garlic-ginger sauce. It was great! I loved the combination so much that I actually felt a little sick after the meal because I ate more than I should have..

two days ago I made a goya and raw onion salad, I blanched the goya and soaked the onions in some ice water then combined them and dressed them with 1 tablespoon each of soy sauce and rice wine vinegar and topped it with some shredded katsuoboshi (bonito flakes)--excellent and it couldn't have been easier.

[AzianBrewer]

I went to an Okinawan restaurant in NYC last night with a friend. We ordered a dish of Tofu-Yo out of curiousity. When the waitress came out with it, we were totally amazed that the restaurant charged us $8 (USD) for a cube!!!! I saw that in an Asian market selling in a jar for $3. The taste is very sharp and quite firm comparing to the Chinese/Taiwanese variations.

[JasonTrue]

If you saw it in an Asian market for $3, the cost at wholesale is probably $1.95. Most restaurants have a 20-35% cost of materials when figuring their menu price, with cheaper entrees usually closer to the 20-25% side, and big, expensive dishes closer to 35%.

Most of the rest of the menu price goes toward paying the staff's low wages and paying the rent, electricity, gas, water and insurance.

After cost of labor and fixed, infrastructure costs, most restaurants are lucky to eke out a 6% return on investment, and only the rarest projects net double digit net margins.

So the price isn't terribly surprising.

Was it served like a cheese plate?

I went to an Okinawan restaurant in NYC last night with a friend.  We ordered a dish of Tofu-Yo out of curiousity.  When the waitress came out with it, we were totally amazed that the restaurant charged us $8 (USD) for a cube!!!!  I saw that in an Asian market selling in a jar for $3.  The taste is very sharp and quite firm comparing to the Chinese/Taiwanese variations.

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[AzianBrewer]

If you saw it in an Asian market for $3, the cost at wholesale is probably $1.95. Most restaurants have a 20-35% cost of materials when figuring their menu price, with cheaper entrees usually closer to the 20-25% side, and big, expensive dishes closer to 35%.

Most of the rest of the menu price goes toward paying the staff's low wages and paying the rent, electricity, gas, water and insurance.

After cost of labor and fixed, infrastructure costs, most restaurants are lucky to eke out a 6% return on investment, and only the rarest projects net double digit net margins.

So the price isn't terribly surprising.

Was it served like a cheese plate?

I went to an Okinawan restaurant in NYC last night with a friend.  We ordered a dish of Tofu-Yo out of curiousity.  When the waitress came out with it, we were totally amazed that the restaurant charged us $8 (USD) for a cube!!!!  I saw that in an Asian market selling in a jar for $3.  The taste is very sharp and quite firm comparing to the Chinese/Taiwanese variations.

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Jason:

It is very surprising to even see tofu-yo or fu-yu (Chinese) served in a restaurant. Tofu-yo always goes with white porridge or congee in a Chinese breakfast. These are the most peasant food you can get in China or other part of Southeast Asia. There are usually 10-12 cubes (1 inch cube) in a $1.95. Dude, that's .1625 to .195 cents per cube. We are talking about some serious markup if you do the math. Would you pay $5 for one green olive $4 for one pickled button white mushroom?

Hell no, that 1 cube of tofu yo wasn't served in a cheese tray but a in coaster with a toothpick!

[JasonTrue]

Oh, I was under the impression that you were served a portion (6 or 7 bites).

Was it served like this?

http://preetamrai.com/weblog/archives/2004/12/06/tofu-yo/

This Okinawan government site shows a more modest-looking serving:

http://www.wonder-okinawa.jp/026/e/recipe/tofuyo.html

If the tofu-yo is actually made in Japan, and made with Okinawan liquor, it would likely be more expensive than that made in China. But I would still assume that a single portion, if served like the example on the Okinawan government page, would be something like $4-5 in a restaurant.

Another site suggests that it was historically been fairly expensive in Japan, and that the Okinawan type is more mellow than the Chinese type.

http://www.thesoydailyclub.com/SFC/Fsoyfoods441.asp

Jason:

It is very surprising to even see tofu-yo or fu-yu (Chinese) served in a restaurant.  Tofu-yo always goes with white porridge or congee in a Chinese breakfast.  These are the most peasant food you can get in China or other part of Southeast Asia.  There are usually 10-12 cubes (1 inch cube) in a $1.95.  Dude, that's .1625 to .195 cents per cube.  We are talking about some serious markup if you do the math.  Would you pay $5 for one green olive $4 for one pickled button white mushroom?

Hell no, that 1 cube of tofu yo wasn't served in a cheese tray but a in coaster with a toothpick!

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[torakris]

I have never eaten tofu-yo, let alone ordered it in a restaurant but I did a search of restaurants in Japan that have it on the menu and found prices from 300 yen up to 950 yen ($2.75 to $9) of course it doesn't say what the portion size was.

So the one you ordered was in the pricey range.

Was it good?

[AzianBrewer]

It was actually pretty good. No complaint except for the price.

[hzrt8w]

It was actually pretty good.  No complaint except for the price.

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AzianBrewer: (I just got into this Japanese forum...)

Did the tofu-yo that you had in this restaurant taste the same as Chinese fu-yu? Or entirely different?

From just the pictures, they do look like the Chinese nam yu (red fermented bean curd), which in China is abundant and is selling at low low prices.

[AzianBrewer]

It was actually pretty good.  No complaint except for the price.

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AzianBrewer: (I just got into this Japanese forum...)

Did the tofu-yo that you had in this restaurant taste the same as Chinese fu-yu? Or entirely different?

From just the pictures, they do look like the Chinese nam yu (red fermented bean curd), which in China is abundant and is selling at low low prices.

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Not really, it is closer to the Taiwanese fermented tofu. The color is saffron red as oppose to nam yu's chilli red. In terms of taste, it is sweeter and yeastier (it is soaked in Awamori; Okinawan Shochu) than the Taiwanese version and less pungent comparing to nam yu. From my understanding there are so many different types of fermented tofu in China. I was informed that each province has its unique style.

[buffy]

Went to an Okinawan restaurant the other night. Was served Agu pork from Okinawa. Does anyone know anything about it, how it is raised, or what it is fed? Was some of the most delicious pork I have ever had. Tasted like it had been smoked, but had not. Had it stir fried with an Okinawan vegetable called 'inari'?? which when sliced reminded me a lot of white asparagus. Also then had it as shabu shabu boiled along with unpickled rakyo. Okinanwan soba noodles were then added to the broth...mmmm.

[torakris]

A couple nights ago I made taco rice!

[Pan]

That looks good. Nice tomatoes. Is it tomato season in Japan now?

[torakris]

That looks good. Nice tomatoes. Is it tomato season in Japan now?

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no, but they are cherry tomatoes which are always in season.

[torakris]

I don't think I have ever seen Agu pork before, apparently it is a native (well as native as you can get..) black pork.

This site has some really nice pictures...

[Akiko]

My mom's best friend shared with me a recipe for goya salad that has become a staple in our house.

one bittermelon sliced in half lengthwise and then sliced very thinly into half moons (like torakris's picture of the white goya above). Salt and leave to drain while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Carrot julienned and drain a tin of the best canned tuna you have. Squeeze the excess water out of the bittermelon. Arrange the carrot and tuna on top, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and pour some chuka dressing over. Its delicious and very addictive.

[AzianBrewer]

Taco rice is Okinawan??? Is this something the American GI introduced to Okie?

[torakris]

Taco rice is Okinawan???  Is this something the American GI introduced to Okie?

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Cooks working in restaurants that used to serve Mexican-style meals to American servicemen experimented with taco ingredients in an attempt to create a dish more appealing to local tastes and came up with an idea of spreading minced meat over rice. It is said that the first taco rice meals were served in the Kin Town area outside Camp Hansen.

from this site

they also have a lot of information omn other Okinawan dishes

[okinawaChris]

Taco rice is Okinawan???  Is this something the American GI introduced to Okie?

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Cooks working in restaurants that used to serve Mexican-style meals to American servicemen experimented with taco ingredients in an attempt to create a dish more appealing to local tastes and came up with an idea of spreading minced meat over rice. It is said that the first taco rice meals were served in the Kin Town area outside Camp Hansen.

from this site

they also have a lot of information omn other Okinawan dishes

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I was first told about Taco Rice when I came to Okinawa over two years ago by an old ex-pat educator that has been here forever. It took me a few months to try but I have been a fan ever since. There is just something about the combination of flavors and textures that make the dish so appealing. One other thing to try on a visit here is the Okinawan tacos. The taco shell is made like a crepe with Masa (corn) flour added. The shells are fried to order and come out with a crewy texture....excellent! The home of Taco Rice is King Taco with various branches on the island. They claim to have invented the dish in 1946....

One last thing, I believe ToraKris posted about a place here called TacoSoba. Well the original shop is right down the street from where I live but has been closed for a week or two now. Hopefully they are only on vacation. If they reopen I'll submit a review.