Yaeyama Islands
As summer approaches and the temperature rises, many of us start to crave refreshing food. To combat the summer heat, we have collected recipes made with Okinawan ingredients that are perfect for hot summer days. Enjoy summer even more with these cooling dishes!
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Summer Recipe 01
Mozuku Somen
A Recipe using somen, a type of noodle that is a Japanese summer staple
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Ingredients:
80g mozuku
2 bundles somen noodles
1/2 cucumber
4 cherry tomatoes
8 thin slices lemon
200cc Mentsuyu (noodle soup base) + water*
1 splash Shikuwasa juice
*follow the ratio written on the bottle of Mentsuyu
Steps:
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Cut the mozuku into roughly 2 cm pieces.
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Cut the cucumber into thin strips and the cherry tomatoes into small pieces.
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Boil the somen noodles. Once they are cooked, remove the noodles out of the hot water and place them in a bowl of cold water to cool down.
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Drain the somen noodles and place them in a bowl. Put the mozuku, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and lemon slices on the top.
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Combine Mentsuyu, water, and shikuwasa juice, and pour over the noodles.
*If you want the noodles to be colder, you can put ice cubes on top of the noodles before adding Mentsuyu.
Summer Recipe 02
Sea Grapes and Tuna Rice Bowl
Top with plenty of sea grapes from Okinawa and enjoy!
Ingredients:
4 cups rice (1 cup=150g)
60g Okinawa brown sugar powder
25g Okinawa sea salt
80cc Japanese rice vinegar
Sea grapes (appropriate amount)
Tuna (appropriate amount)
Shiso leaves (appropriate amount)
Wasabi (appropriate amount)
Soy sauce (appropriate amount)
Steps:
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After rincing the rice, place it in the rice cooker and cook.
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Mix Okinawa brown sugar powder, Okinawa sea salt, and Japanese rice vinegar. After the rice is cooked, gradually add the vinegar mixture into the rice and mix to combine evenly while fanning the rice to cool.
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Place the rice into a bowl, then place tuna, sea grapes and shiso on the top.
Summer Recipe 03
Spaghetti aglio e olio with Sea Grapes
Cold pasta recipe perfect for summer
Ingredients:
150g octopus tentacles (boiled)
60g celery
3 cloves garlic
1 chili pepper
2 tablespoon white wine
2 tablespoon olive oil
200g pasta*
2 tablespoon salt (+ appropriate amount)
200cc pasta water
Sea grapes (appropriate amount)
*It is best to use thin pasta noodles for the best results.
Steps:
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Boil 3 liters of water in a pot. When the water comes to a boil, add 2 tablespoons of salt and cook the pasta for about 1 minute longer than indicated on the package. Once the pasta is cooked, transfer into a colander, place in the cold water to rinse, and then drain.
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Cut the octopus into easy-to-eat size pieces. Cut the celery and garlic into thin slices. Remove the seeds from the chili pepper and cut into round slices.
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Place the olive oil, garlic, and chili pepper in a frying pan and heat. When the garlic is fragrant, fry the celery, then add the white wine, octopus, and pasta water respectively to fry. Transfer the sauce into a bowl and place the bowl on some ice to cool.
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Mix ① in the bowl in step ③ and add more salt if necessary.
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Place ④ on a plate and top with sea grapes.
Summer Recipe 04
Mozuku with Cucumber & Tomato
Mozuku and vinegar for a refreshing taste
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Ingredients:
100g mozuku
1/2 cucumber
2 cherry tomatoes
Sauce for mozuku
Steps:
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Cut mozuku into about 3 cm pieces.
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Cut cucumber into thin strips and mix with mozuku.
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Place ② in a bowl, garnish with tomatoes, and pour the sauce for mozuku on the top.
Summer Recipe 05
Bitter Gourd Somen
A recipe using bitter gourd, known as the "king of summer vegetables"
Ingredients:
3 bundles somen noodles
100g mozuku
1 bitter gourd
Salt (appropriate amount)
1 Japanese ginger
1 egg
Oil (appropriate amount)
1 canned tuna
Thin-shredded dried bonito (appropriate amount)
3.5 tablespoon 4倍濃縮 mentsuyu (noodle soup base, 4 x concentrated)
4 lemon slices
leafy vegetables (appropriate amount)
Steps:
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Boil the somen noodles. Rinse the mozuku seaweed, cut into chunks, and combine with the somen noodles.
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Cut the bitter gourd into thin slices, sprinkle with salt to soften, and remove the excess water. Cut Japanese ginger into thin strips.
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Whisk the egg and season with salt. Swirl oil to coat the frying-pan. Pour the egg into the pan and make a thin layer of egg crepe. Take it out of the pan and cut into thin strips.
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Remove the excess oil from the canned tuna and combine with ② and thin-shredded dried bonito. Add mentsuyu and adjust the taste.
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Spread leafy vegetables on a plate, place ① and ④ on top, scatter ③ and garnish with lemon.
Summer Recipe 06
Spicy Bitter Gourd
Spicy side dish for hot summer
Ingredients:
1/3 Okinawa bitter gourd
Salt (appropriate amount)
1/4 bell pepper
5cm Shiraga-negi (thinly sliced white part of a Japanese leek)
1/4 teaspoon Ichimi Togarashi (red chilli pepper powder)
1 teaspoon or more fish sauce
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
Steps:
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Remove the guts of the bitter gourd, cut into thin slices, rub lightly with salt, and let stand for 10 minutes. Thinly slice the bell pepper and soak in water.
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Add Ichimi Togarashi, fish sauce, and sesame oil in a bowl, and mix.
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Remove the water from ① and mix with ②.
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Place ③ on a plate and garnish with Shiraga-negi.
Summer Recipe 07
Fizzy Salted Jelly
Fizzy jelly made with Okinawa salt
Ingredients:
1.5g Kanten powder (agar agar powder)
150cc apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoon sugar
1 pinch salt (+ appropriate amount)
Orange (appropriate amount)
300cc sparkling water
Mint (appropriate amount)
50cc water
Steps:
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Add 50cc water, Kanten powder, apple cider vinegar, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a pot and turn on the heat. Once the Kanten powder is dissolved in the water, pour the mixture into a mold and put it in the refrigerator until it sets.
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When ① is set, squish with a fork and place in a glass.
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Garnish with the orange and mint, pour in the sparkling water, and sprinkle with salt.
Summer Recipe 08
Shikuwasa Ice Cream
The sourness of the citrus is perfect for summer!
Ingredients:
150g shikuwasa juice
200g sugar
150g whipping cream
2g salt
1 egg
3 egg yolks
3 egg whites
30g butter
Vanilla extract
Steps:
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Place 150g shikuwasa juice, 80g white sugar, 150g whipping cream, and 2g salt in a pot and simmer. [Tip] Simmer over medium-low heat so that the whipping cream does not boil.
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Add 1 egg and 3 egg yolks in a bowl and beat.
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Add the eggs into the cooled shikwasa cream while whipping.
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Stir while heating until the cream is thickened.
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When it becomes the desired consistency, turn off the heat and stir in the 30g butter and vanilla extract.
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Once cooled, strain and refrigerate.
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Whip the egg whites while adding the rest of the sugar in several parts.
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Add the shikuwasa curd, which has been cooled in the refregirator, little by little and mix.
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Place the mixture into a container and freeze in the freezer for at least 6 hours.
Summer Recipe 09
Shikuwasa Jelly Cheese Cake
Cool and refreshing cheese cake
Ingredients: (4-5 150ml cups)
【No-bake cheese cake】
200g cream cheese
200ml heavy cream
90g granulated sugar
2 tablespoon shikuwasa juice
6g gelatin
2 tablespoon water (for melting gelatin)
4-5 thin slice shikuwasa
【Jelly】
50ml shikuwasa juice
100ml water
25-30g granulated sugar
3g gelatin
1 tablespoon water (for melting gelatin)
Steps:
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Place cream cheese at room temperature in a bowl, add sugar, heavy cream, and shikuwasa juice, and mix well.
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Add the water (for melting gelatin) and gelatin in a heat-resistant cup and let the gelatin become soft. Stand the cup in a bowl of hot water until the gelatine dissolves, then pour into ①.
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Pour ② into cups and cool in the refregirator for about 2 hours.
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To make shikuwasa jelly, mix shikwasa juice, water, and granulated sugar until the sugar melts. Add the gelatin, which has been softened with the specified amount of water in a heat-resistant cup and then dissolved by placing the cup over a bowl of hot water, and mix well. (If using freshly squeezed shikuwasa juice, please heat it before use otherwise gelatin may not solidify.)
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Pour ④ onto ③ and cool in the refrigirator for more than 2 hours. Place a slice of shikuwasa on the top.
Okinawa food ingredients used in the recipes
Mozuku
Mozuku is a low-calorie food rich in dietary fiber and minerals. Okinawa mozuku is characterized by its thick, long, and firm texture. Most of the mozuku eaten in Japan comes from Okinawa Prefecture.
Sea grapes
Sea grapes is characterized by its clear bubbles with a crunchy texture and subtle salty taste. It is cultivated in various parts of Okinawa Prefecture. The most common way to eat it is to eat it raw by dipping it directly into sauce. It is also used to garnish salads, sashimi, and rice bowls.
Bitter gourd is a commonly consumed vegetable in Okinawan households. What is unique about its composition is its rich vitamin C content, which is about 1.5 times that of lemon juice and said to be resistant to heat. Although it is grown year-round these days, its season is from April to July, making it a popular summer vegetable.
Bitter gourd
Okinawa salt is produced from Okinawa's clear and beautiful seawater. Among many salts from Okinawa, there is a salt recognized by the Guinness Book for its high mineral content.
This Okinawan citrus fruit has a unique sour taste that is different from both lime and yuzu. It is rich in citric acid, which is said to relieve fatigue, and nobiletin, one of the flavonoids. It can be used in a variety of ways in drinks, dishes, and desserts.
Posted on 2024/5/8
