Okinawa cuisine - Okinawa cuisine

Japanese: 沖縄料理 - おきなわりょうり

A dish made in the Nansei Islands. It is also called Ryukyu cuisine. It was influenced by mainland Japan and Chinese cuisine, and became a unique dish suited to the climate of subtropical Okinawa. It uses a lot of pork. Okinawa's historical background, which has been engaged in tribute trade with China for many years, played an important role in the establishment of its cuisine and gave it its characteristics. In other words, chefs (head chefs) were sent aboard tribute ships that went from Ryukyu to China from the 14th century onwards, and trading ships called keishin that went to Yamato (Satsuma) from the 17th century onwards, to learn Chinese and Japanese cuisine, and using that as a basis, they created dishes suited to Okinawa's climate and environment, mainly using ingredients found in Okinawa. Since neither Chinese nor Japanese cuisine would work as it is in Okinawa's unique subtropical climate, the chefs racked their brains to create Okinawan cuisine.

[Shigeyoshi Kadegawa]

History

Okinawan cuisine before the modern era was divided into imperial court cuisine and commoner cuisine. Imperial court cuisine was prepared at the Shuri dynasty's court by the wives of aristocrats and chefs to entertain royalty, nobility, and foreign dignitaries.

During the Shuri Dynasty, the dispatch and reception of diplomatic and trade envoys were important events. There was traffic between China and Ryukyu by tribute ships, sakuhoshi (investment envoys) that came to Ryukyu when a Ryukyu king ascended to the throne (the ships were called okansen), and thank-you envoys in return. To the shogunate, congratulatory envoys were sent on the inauguration of a shogun and thank-you envoys on the enthronement of a Ryukyu king (Edo nobori), and to Satsuma, New Year's envoys and special envoys for good and bad luck (Yamato nobori), and chefs showed off their cooking skills at the banquets to welcome and send off these envoys. Chinese cuisine was prepared for the Chinese sakuhoshi, and Japanese-style cuisine was prepared for the Satsuma domain's resident magistrates and Yamato officials.

Okinawan cuisine was praised by foreigners as being so delicious that it was hard to believe it was from a small South Sea country. In 1527 (Taei 7), the Chinese envoy Chen Kan, who came to Ryukyu as a deputy investiture envoy when King Sho Sei ascended to the throne, recorded in the Envoys of Ryukyu (1534 Anthology) that "the formal dinner at Shuri Royal Castle was prepared by the chef of the investiture ship, and when we were invited to the homes of the prince and his master, the food was prepared by their wives and maids, but the taste was the same." In addition, Basil Hall, a British man who visited Ryukyu in 1816 (Bunka 13), wrote in his "A Voyage to the Great Ryukyu Islands" that Captain Maxwell, the captain of the sister ship Alcest, and his party were treated to Ryukyu cuisine at Seigenji Temple on the northern shore of Naha Tomari Port, reporting that "there was a splendid feast and excellent saki (awamori)." In his "Perry Diary," Commodore Perry of the United States Navy, who visited Ryukyu in 1853 (Kaei 6), also wrote about being treated to Ryukyu cuisine within Shuri Castle and praising its excellence.

[Shigeyoshi Kadegawa]

Characteristics and types

Okinawan cuisine is characterized by its unique cooking methods and seasonings that are suited to Okinawa's climate and geography, without leaning too much to the oily nature of Chinese cuisine or the lightness of Japanese cuisine. Buddhism was not widespread in Okinawa due to the Satsuma Domain's ban on religion, and even before that there was no Buddhist custom that tabooed eating meat. A Korean fisherman who was cast ashore in Okinawa in 1477 (Bunmei 9) reported that "they served pigs, cows, goats, wild boars, chickens, and other animals on their plates, and that the variety of pork dishes was excellent, and the seasoning was excellent" (The Annals of the Yi Dynasty).

Even today, there is a decoction made from pork, goat, or wild boar meat stewed with medicinal herbs, called "ujinii" (to supplement). Meaning "nutritional supplement," this dish was influenced by China, the Korean peninsula, and Southeast Asia. The "Tonda-bon" used for celebratory meals is a specially made Ryukyu lacquerware dish that comes in a variety of shapes, including round, square, and hexagonal, with the large ones measuring up to 30 centimeters in height and 50 centimeters in diameter. Both the shape and design of the dish are characterized by strict, taut lines typical of China. Ceramic and lacquerware plates in sets of 5, 7, or 9 are placed on the tray, and 5, 7, or 9 dishes are served on each.

There are many types of pork dishes, and they are the mainstream of Okinawan cuisine. Examples include rafu-te (braised pork cubes), miso-boiled pork, ashi-tebichi (pig's trotter soup), and minudaru (thinly sliced pork sprinkled with black sesame seeds). Soups include "irabu" dishes made with Erabu sea snakes, "nakami no sorimono" (pig's innards soup), and pork rib soup. Simmered dishes include "duru wakashii," made mainly from taro and its stems, boiled in pork stock until they lose their shape, and taro dengaku. Egg dishes did not develop much in Okinawa, where egg production was low, but castella kamaboko, made by putting eggs into kamaboko, is a sweet delicacy that is indispensable for celebratory meals.

A typical stir-fry dish is kubuirichi (fried kelp). Okinawa does not produce kelp, but large quantities of kelp were imported via Satsuma and Osaka, and stewed kelp was widely used for celebrations and memorial services. Stir-fried kelp is often eaten in daily diet, and kubuirichi has become an indispensable part of the diet. Stir-fried dishes are generally called champuru. Mamina (bean sprouts), rakkyo, shimana (mustard), goya (bitter melon), chiribira (leek), and unripe papaya are often stir-fried and eaten, and this is effective as a nutritious dish to endure the Okinawan heat, and as a preserved food that can be reheated and eaten many times. Somen noodles are boiled and used as a soup, or fried and eaten as somen (somen) or puturu. In recent years, it has been incorrect to call them somen and champuru.

Rice dishes mainly use white rice, but there are also other varieties such as seifan (red rice) (no glutinous rice used), se fan (vegetable rice), toun fan (pork rice), and toui fan (chicken rice). Rice dishes in which various ingredients are placed on top of the rice, cooked as a seasoning, or poured over with a tasty meat stock broth are influenced by Chinese cuisine. Zosui (rice porridge) is different from the commonly known zosui (rice porridge), and is cooked with pork, shiitake mushrooms, and other ingredients in pork stock. Regular zosui is distinguished by being called boroboro and juushi.

There are few fish dishes, considering that the area is surrounded by the sea. This is because even if fish are caught in the sea near the island, they cannot be preserved due to the high temperatures, and there is also a limited variety of fish. Salted fish, dried fish, kamaboko, simmered fish, and grilled fish are the main dishes. Some fish are made into sashimi, but as it loses its freshness quickly, it is not included in full-course Okinawan cuisine menus. One way to eat raw fish is to dress it with vinegar soy sauce or miso, and these are called namashi. This involves dipping sashimi in vinegar soy sauce and eating it, which is different from the vinegar dressing of Japanese cuisine. There are also few pickles in general. This is because green vegetables are available all year round, so there is little need to preserve them by salting them, but local pickles include goya pickled in plum vinegar and papaya pickled in rice bran miso.

[Shigeyoshi Kadegawa]

Confectionery

Okinawa has long been a producer of brown sugar, so one would expect sweets to be made with a generous amount of sugar, but in fact many of them are almost entirely unsweetened. This is likely because the tea ceremony was not developed in Okinawa, and sweet sweets were not needed. However, the fact that desserts in full-course Okinawan meals always have a light sweetness is one of the charms of Okinawan cuisine influenced by China. The main sweets include kogusi (rakugan), sanggatsugashi (fried sweets), popo (baked sweets with oil and miso), chinpin (wheat flour seasoned with sugar and baked), sata andagi (wheat flour mixed with brown or white sugar and eggs and deep-fried), kujimuchi (kuzu mochi), and umukuji andagi (fried sweets made from kneaded sweet potato starch).

[Shigeyoshi Kadegawa]

Laugh Tee
Okinawa Prefecture ©Okinawa Tourism and Convention Bureau ">

Laugh Tee

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©Okinawa Convention and Visitors Bureau ">

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Kubuirichi
Okinawa Prefecture ©Okinawa Tourism and Convention Bureau ">

Kubuirichi

Goya Chanpuru
Okinawa Prefecture ©Okinawa Tourism and Convention Bureau ">

Goya Chanpuru

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

南西諸島一帯でつくられる料理。琉球(りゅうきゅう)料理ともいう。日本本土や中国料理の影響を受け、亜熱帯沖縄の風土にあった独特の料理となった。豚肉を多く用いる。中国と永年にわたって朝貢貿易を続けてきた沖縄の歴史的背景が、その料理の成立にも重要な役割を果たし、特色を与えている。すなわち、14世紀以降琉球から中国へ赴いた進貢船(ちんくんしん)や、17世紀以降大和(やまと)（薩摩(さつま)）へ向かった楷船(けーしん)という貿易船に、包丁人(ほうちょうにん)（料理長）を乗り込ませて中国料理と日本料理を習得させ、それを基本に、おもに沖縄にある材料を使い、沖縄の気候や風土にあった料理を創作した。亜熱帯という沖縄の特殊な風土では、中国料理も日本料理もそのままではなじまなかったので、包丁人たちが知恵を絞って生まれたのが沖縄料理である。

［嘉手川重喜］

沿革

近代以前の沖縄料理は、宮廷料理と庶民料理に分けられていた。宮廷料理は首里王朝の宮廷で、おもに王侯貴族や外国の賓客の接待用に、貴族の夫人たちや包丁人がつくった。

　首里王朝では、外交貿易使節の派遣、接受が重要な行事であった。中国との間には、進貢船、琉球王即位の際来琉する冊封使(さくほうし)（乗船を御冠船(おかんせん)という）、その返礼としての謝恩使などの往来があり、幕府に対しては、将軍就任の慶賀使および琉球王即位の謝恩使（江戸上(のぼ)り）、また薩摩へは年頭使および吉凶事の特使（大和上り）派遣があり、その送迎の宴にあたっては、包丁人が料理の腕を振るった。中国の冊封使には中国料理を、薩摩藩の在番奉行(ぶぎょう)や大和役人には日本風の料理をつくってもてなした。

　沖縄料理は、南海の一小国のものとは思えないほどの美味として外国人に評価された。1527年（大永7）に尚清王(しょうせいおう)の即位の際、冊封副使として来琉した中国の陳侃(ちんかん)は、『使琉球録』（1534年選集）のなかで、「首里王城での正餐(せいさん)は冊封船の料理長がつくり、王子、親方(うぇーかた)の家に招かれたときの料理はその夫人と婢(ひ)がつくったものだったが、味は変わらなかった」と記録している。また、1816年（文化13）に来琉したイギリスのバジル・ホールの『大琉球島航海記』には、僚船アルセスト号の船長マクスウェル大佐ら一行が、那覇泊港北岸の聖現寺(せいげんじ)で琉球料理の接待を受けた記録があり、「りっぱな御馳走(ごちそう)と、すばらしいサキ（泡盛）であった」と報告している。1853年（嘉永6）に来琉したアメリカの海軍提督ペリー一行も、『ペリー日記』のなかに、首里王城内で琉球料理のもてなしを受けたことを記し、そのすばらしさを称賛している。

［嘉手川重喜］

特色と種類

沖縄料理の特色は、中国料理の油っこさ、日本料理の淡泊さのどちらにも偏せず、沖縄の気候風土にあった独特の料理法と味つけがくふうされている。沖縄は薩摩藩の信教の禁制もあって仏教はあまり普及せず、またそれ以前から獣肉食をタブーとする仏教的風習はなかった。1477年（文明9）沖縄に漂着した朝鮮人漁民は、「ブタ、ウシ、ヤギ、イノシシ、ニワトリなどを食膳(しょくぜん)にのせ、ブタ料理の種類の多いこと、その味つけのよさはすばらしい」と報告している（『李(り)朝実録』）。

　現在でも、ブタ、ヤギ、イノシシの肉を使って薬草で煮込んだ煎(せん)じ料理があり、「うじにー」（補う）とよんでいる。栄養補給の意で、中国、朝鮮半島のほか東南アジアの影響を受けた料理である。祝膳料理に使われる「東道盆(とんだーぼん)」は、特製の琉球漆器で、丸、四角、六角など各種あり、大は高さ30センチメートル、径50センチメートルにも及ぶ。器の形、文様ともに中国的な厳正で緊張した線が特徴的である。その盆の中に5、7、9枚組などの陶磁器、漆器の皿を配し、それぞれ5、7、9品の料理を盛り付ける。

　豚肉料理は種類が多く、沖縄料理の主流である。らふてー（ブタの角煮）、ブタのみそ煮、足てびち（豚足の吸い物）、みぬだる（豚肉の薄切りに黒ごまをまぶしたもの）などがある。吸い物はエラブウミヘビを使った「いらぶ」料理、ブタの内臓を使った「中身(なかみ)の吸い物」、ブタのあばら骨（そーきぶに）の吸い物などがある。煮物料理は、サトイモとその茎を主材料に、豚肉のだしで形が崩れるまで煮る「どぅるわかしー」や、さといも田楽(でんがく)などがある。鶏卵の生産の少なかった沖縄では、卵料理はあまり発達しなかったが、かまぼこに卵を入れてつくるカステラかまぼこは、甘味のある珍味で、祝膳料理には欠かせないものである。

　炒(いた)め料理で代表的なものに、くーぶいりちー（昆布の炒め料理）がある。沖縄は昆布を産しないが、薩摩や大坂を経て大量の昆布が移入され、祝事や法事に昆布の煮物が幅広く使われた。日常の食生活では昆布を炒めてよく食し、くーぶいりちーは欠かせないものになっている。炒め物は一般に、「ちゃんぷるー」という。まーみな（もやし）、ラッキョウ、しまなー（カラシナ）、ごーやー（ニガウリ）、ちりびらー（ニラ）、パパイヤの未熟な実などをよく炒めて食べるが、これは沖縄の暑気に耐えるための栄養料理として、また何回も温め直して食べられる保存食としての効用をもつ。そうめんは、ゆでて吸い物にするか、炒めて食べる、そーみん（そうめん）・ぷっとぅるーがある。近年これをそーみん・ちゃんぷるーとよぶのは誤りである。

　飯物は、おもに白い飯が使われるが、赤飯(せきはん)（糯米(もちごめ)を使わない）、せーふぁん（菜飯）、とぅんふぁん（豚飯）、とぅいふぁん（鶏飯）などがある。いろいろな具を飯の上にのせたり、炊き込みにしたり、味のよい肉だしのかけ汁をかけて食べる飯物は、中国料理の影響を受けている。雑炊(じゅーしー)は一般にいう雑炊(ぞうすい)とは違い、豚肉、シイタケ、そのほかの具を入れ、豚肉のだしで炊く炊き込み飯である。普通の雑炊は、ぼろぼろー・じゅーしーといって区別している。

　魚料理は、海に囲まれている地域にしては少ない。これは近海で魚がとれても高温のため保存がきかないからで、また魚の種類も少ない。塩漬け、干し魚、かまぼこ、煮つけ、焼き魚などがおもである。刺身になる魚もあるが、鮮度がすぐ落ちるので、沖縄料理のフルコースのメニューに刺身はない。なまの魚を食べる方法として、酢じょうゆやみそ和(あ)えの料理があり、これらを生酢(なまし)という。これは刺身に酢じょうゆをつけて食べるもので、日本料理の酢の和え物とは違う。漬物も一般的に少ない。年中青い野菜が手に入るため、塩漬けにして保存する必要があまりないからであるが、地漬けとして、ごーやーの梅酢漬け、パパイヤのぬかみそ漬けなどがある。

［嘉手川重喜］

菓子

沖縄は昔から黒砂糖の生産地であるため、砂糖をぜいたくに使った菓子がありそうだが、ほとんど甘味のない菓子が多い。これは沖縄には茶道が発達せず、甘い菓子を必要としなかったことによるものだろう。しかし沖縄料理のフルコースのデザートに、かならず甘味の少ない菓子が出されるのは、中国の影響を受けた沖縄料理の妙味ともいえる。おもな菓子には、こーぐゎーし（落雁(らくがん)）、三月菓子（揚げ菓子）、ぽーぽー（油みそ入り焼き菓子）、ちんぴん（小麦粉を砂糖で味つけして焼いたもの）、さーたーあんだぎー（小麦粉に黒砂糖や白砂糖、卵を入れて油で揚げたもの）、くじむち（葛餅(くずもち)）、うむくじあんだぎー（さつまいもデンプンを練って揚げたもの）などがある。

［嘉手川重喜］

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