![]() With the question of “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” in this situation it doesn’t matter because Japanese people will eat both of them raw. Lawsuits and health risks with eating raw chicken make it hard to believe that in Japan not only can you find raw chicken sashimi in restaurants but many people eat it and it’s delicious. It would be unheard of in North America for anyone to eat raw chicken, let alone have a restaurant serve it on purpose. Could Goya and other Okinawan foods be one of the reasons Okinawans live such long lives? 4. ![]() Okinawa is known globally to have one of the longest life-expectancies and houses the highest number of citizens over 100 years old. Goya is said to be a superfood and according to the US National Library of Medicine, goya has been used around the world traditionally for many medicinal purposes to help with digestion, lowering blood sugar for those suffering from diabetes, and is in the clinical stages for its ability to fight cancer cells. The benefits of this food goes beyond the taste. Goya can be added to salads, made into a smoothie or even eaten tempura style. When I went to Okinawa and ordered the Goya Champuru dish, which is egg, tofu, soy sauce, meat and vegetables stir-fried, the combination was great and the goya only had a slight bitter aftertaste which made the dish taste even better and more unique. Goya or bitter gourd is a zucchini-like shaped vegetable from Okinawa that has a bitter taste and is popularly used in the famous Okinawan dish called Goya Champuru. The meat usually comes with garlic or grated ginger on top and is not chewy but tender and doesn’t have any gamey aftertaste like goat or lamb meat. It looks very similar to raw cuts of beef so I was a bit hesitant to try it but after eating a few strips I was impressed. Similar to fish sashimi, it is dipped in soy sauce and eaten raw or sometimes grilled over a flame like beef in yakiniku restaurants. ![]() ![]() Like fish sashimi, horse sashimi called basashi is available at many izakaya and yaki-niku restaurants. And not only is raw horse eaten in Kumamoto, the south of Japan where it is quite famous, but all across Japan you can find restaurants serving it. I’ve heard the term “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse” but I never thought people actually did. If you can eat and even enjoy natto then it will please and shock a lot of Japanese who often assume only Japanese who are used to it can stomach it. I will admit that I am not the biggest fan of this food, but I have slowly gotten used to it and can now appreciate its taste and texture. But there are a variety of foods that can be eaten with natto like raw eggs, okra, salads, toast, and kimchi for those who like a little spice. The easiest way to eat natto is plain or on top of rice. You can usually buy a three pack of natto for less than 100 yen so it is cheap and easy to prepare.Īdding some soy sauce and Japanese mustard, the mixture is mixed vigorously until it is sticky and gooey. The soybeans are steamed, fermented and then refrigerated for about a week. Natto is fermented soy beans and is a gooey, sticky, slimy, smelly mess of a food that all Japanese people tout as the healthiest of Japanese foods. Fermented Soybeans – NattoĪnyone who has been to Japan or talked to Japanese people will know that natto is a popular food all Japanese people have grown up with and is usually part of a Japanese breakfast.
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