Awamori (Distilled Liquor) Okinawa's pride distilled liquor with 500 years of tradition, awamori is best when aged. After they are aged more than three years, they are called kuus. The aged kuus are extremely popular, and some of them are 100 years old. Rice is currently used to produce awamori, but some say that there was a time when the main ingredient was the millet (awa) which gave the liquor its name. Every type of awamori including those from neighboring islands are available at Awamori-kan (TEL: 098-885-5681) where free samplings of kuus are offered. Delicious local specialties at reasonable prices are available at Urizun (TEL: 098-885-2178).

Sohki Soba (Noodles) Unlike ordinary soba noodles, Okinawan noodles are not made of buckwheat flour. They are rather thick and resemble flat udon noodles. Sohki noodles come with sohki (pork with bones ) and kamaboko (fish paste) in pork and mushroom base soup. The best restaurant to try sohki soba is Chiraagwa (TEL: 098-889-6626)

Gohyachanproo Champroo, the most common homemade dish in Okinawa is prepared by stir frying tofu, vegetables and pork. Tofu is rich in vegetable protein and is a very important ingredient for Okinawan cooking. The popular gohyachamproo are made by stir frying gohya (gourd), tofu, eggs, bacon and sausages. The bitter flavor of the gohya gives the dish an extra zing.

Tofuyoh Adopted from China where the specialty is referred to as fermented milk, tofuyoh is made by soaking tofu in awamori and red rice grains for two to three weeks to ferment. This particular specialty is affected by the weather and is difficult to make but is a perfect complement to awamori.