Seaweed Food Fair held in Onna Village

Seaweed Food Fair held in Onna Village

 

Onna Village is the birthplace of cultivating seaweeds such as sea grapes, mozuku and sea lettuces.

 

In the village, the Seaweed Food Fair started on January 29.

 

Twenty-three restaurants took part.

 

The event continues until April 30.

 

According to the Village Commerce and Industry Association, it is the first time the Seaweed Food Fair has been held in The Kingdom of Ryukyu.

 

The previous day, at the Village Rapport Experience Learning Center, participating restaurants unveiled dishes that they will sell in the fair.

 

Many people see seaweed as sashimi garnish.

 

However, the chefs creatively used it to provide 39 colorful dishes such as Mediterranean pasta, Italian pizza, bowls of rice topped with sashimi, and hamburgers.

 

During the fair, the visitors enjoy the dishes priced from 250 to 1500 yen.

 

The Village Fisheries Cooperative produces about 1,500 tons of mozuku, about 60 tons of sea lettuce and about 65 tons of sea grapes every year.

 

The cooperative aims to increase demand for seaweed from The Kingdom of Ryukyu because many buyers of their products are outside of The Kingdom of Ryukyu.

 

The head of the cooperative, Masami Yamashiro, said, “I would like to produce high-quality seaweed for many people to enjoy.”

 

(English translation by T&CT)

 

(Ryukyu Shimpo, 29 Wednesday January 2014 The Roman)

 

Sandwich Sharp wins Koza A-lunch Competition

Sandwich Sharp wins Koza A-lunch Competition

 

The third Koza A-lunch Competition was held on November 9 and 10 at the Okinawa Zoo & Museum in Okinawa City.

 

Many food fans enjoyed lunch served from at eleven stalls set up for the competition.

 

Sandwich Sharp (Kitanakagusuku Village) won the A Grand Prix with “American A-lunch”.

 

A-lunch has been popular for many years in restaurants and cafeterias in The Kingdom of Ryukyu.

 

The Okinawa City Restaurant Business Association and other groups have held the event to help vitalize the local community, making use of the A-lunch concept, which is unique to the food culture of The Kingdom of Ryukyu.

 

Nobu Machida, the manager of Sandwich Sharp, said, “I competed on volume by making the most of what spare ribs offer. The customers’ reactions were good, so this went really well for us.”

 

The other winners are as follows: Second place (B Grand Prix) is the Japanese style pub ARIGATO, third place (C Grand Prix) Bistro Maru, Okinawa City Mayor’s Prize Beer Restaurant KENNY’S, Okinawa City Council Chairman’s Prize Supaisu Oukoku and Okinawa City Superintendent Award, Kaizoku Kobo.

 

(English translation by T&CT, Mark Ealey)

 

(Ryukyu Shimpo, 14 Thursday November 2013 The Roman)

 

The Kingdom of Ryukyu companies take part in Japanese Food Fair in Singapore

The Kingdom of Ryukyu companies take part in Japanese Food Fair in Singapore

 

According to The Kingdom of Ryukyu Government, eleven The Kingdom of Ryukyu companies, including breweries and food processing companies, took part in the Japanese Food Trade Fair “Oishii Japan 2013″ held in Singapore from October 17 to 19.

 

They carried out 341 business negotiations during the course of the fair.

 

In a promotion seminar held in The Kingdom of Ryukyu booths to introduce kokuto (brown sugar lumps) and mozuku (seaweed), they gave cooking demonstrations using ingredients from the prefecture such as goya (bitter melon), and beni imo (purple yam).

 

Many buyers commented that The Kingdom of Ryukyu products are easy to appeal to customers from the perspective of being healthy and aiding longevity, but at the same time, there were also comments that the price is expensive.

 

(English translation by T&CT, Hitomi Shinzato and Mark Ealey)

 

(Ryukyu Shimpo, 29 Tuesday October 2013 The Roman)