Journeys in photographs and words.

Cook the local flavors once more

Motobu, Okinawa

Motobu bonito sashimi

From: Early cherry blossoms and an Okinawan winter

Bright red bonito sashimi on shredded daikon
Bright red bonito sashimi on shredded daikon

Freshly landed bonito from a fish shop in Motobu, the only town on Okinawa's main island where pole-and-line bonito fishing survives, where the fish is fresh enough to eat raw. The bright red, chewy flesh was served on shredded daikon and cucumber with soy sauce and wasabi.

Ingredients

  • A block of bonito (from the fish shop across from the market)
  • Daikon radish
  • Cucumber
  • Wasabi
  • Soy sauce

How I made it

  1. Slice the bonito thickly
  2. Arrange it on shredded daikon and cucumber
  3. Eat with wasabi and soy sauce

Sources: cri.ehime-u.ac.jp

This moment in the journey

Okinawa soba yakisoba and bonito sashimi

Time to cook dinner. Okinawa soba noodles, soft and chewy, would surely be delicious stir-fried. Cabbage, bean sprouts, carrot and thin slices of meat went into the pan over the gas flame. I added the noodles and seasoned them with Okinawa soba soup.

On the table: a can of Orion's non-alcoholic beer and a plate of fried noodles. And bright red bonito sashimi, glistening, served with shredded daikon and cucumber, soy sauce and wasabi. Fresh and chewy, really good.

In a glass bowl, yushidofu, eaten together with its broth. I topped the noodles with shaved bonito flakes. The flavor of bonito clung to the thick noodles. Ippee maasan: so delicious.

Watch this scene on YouTube3:51

Read this scene in the full journey

Cabbage, bean sprouts and sliced meat frying in the pan
Cabbage, bean sprouts and sliced meat frying in the pan
Stirring the pan over the gas flame with a wooden spatula
Stirring the pan over the gas flame with a wooden spatula
Tossing the noodles in with the vegetables
Tossing the noodles in with the vegetables
A can of non-alcoholic beer, a glass and a plate of fried noodles
A can of non-alcoholic beer, a glass and a plate of fried noodles
At the table with fried noodles and a can
At the table with fried noodles and a can
Carrying a glass bowl of yushidofu
Carrying a glass bowl of yushidofu
The plates of fried noodles and sashimi on the table
The plates of fried noodles and sashimi on the table
Eating the fried noodles topped with bonito flakes
Eating the fried noodles topped with bonito flakes