Foods and Specialties of Iriomote Island

Iriomote Island is an environment full of nature with sea, rivers, and mountains. Therefore, there are many delicious foods and specialty products.

Iriomote Island has mozuku seaweed and seafood from the sea, wild boars and other animals from the mountains, and mango cultivation, dairy farming, and cattle raising on the plains. We will introduce Iriomote Island, which has many specialties such as meat, fish, vegetables, and fruits.

This article introduces the foods and specialties of Iriomote Island.

 

Iriomote Island's specialty sugarcane

One of the specialties of Iriomote Island is oozi! Have you ever heard of oozi? You may have heard the word "oozi" in songs often sung by Okinawan singers.

Uji is the Okinawan word for sugarcane.

 

[photo of Oogie's field].

 

Okinawa is a major producer of sugarcane! In fact, sugarcane is also the raw material for brown sugar. Brown sugar production in Okinawa began 390 years ago during the Edo period (1603-1868)!

It was produced as a key crop on islands where crop production was difficult.

On Iriomote Island, brown sugar production began in 1892, and the traditional method of boiling down the sugar is still used.

Sugarcane juice freshly extracted at sugarcane farms and brown sugar ice cream made from sugarcane are also very popular.

Here is where you can eat such specialty sugarcane.

 

url-sugar cane farmer

 

Kamai dishes with a light and addictive flavor.

Kamai is a wild boar in the dialect of Iriomote Island. Kamai is smaller than wild boars in other areas, and is said to weigh only about 50 kg at most.

 

Photo of Kamai

 

They are said to be small in stature because they are not interbred with pigs and remain in their native habitat!

It is also said that the only part of the kamai to be discarded is the tail, and that all the internal organs can be eaten from the meat!

Island and Gochiso Irumuteiya offers fresh kamai, which can also be enjoyed as sashimi!

 

Photo of sashimi of kamai.

 

It is very fresh and delicious. Wild boar and other game species have a strong odor, but kamai has little odor, and the sweetness of the fat and the crispy texture are irresistible.

 

〜Island delicacies - Information about Irumuteiya

Name: Island delicacies Irumuteiya

Access: 10-625 Uehara, Taketomi-cho, Yaeyama-gun, Okinawa, Japan

Phone number: 0980-85-6878

Business hours: 12:00 - 14:00, 18:00 - 21:00 (LO 20:45)

Closed: Wednesday

 

Highest quality! Iriomote Island Ripe Mango

Iriomote Island, the westernmost island in Japan, has a subtropical climate, which allows for the cultivation of pineapples and mangoes.

 

[mango photo

 

The full sunlight produces perfectly ripe mangoes with a sweet flavor. The aroma and juicy flesh is very sweet and addictive!

Since it is a very delicate fruit, the slightest irritation can damage it and ruin its taste. At Hirai Farm in Iriomote Island, mangoes are cultivated with great care. Mangoes ripen and turn red when exposed to the sun, but if they are exposed to the sun too much, they get sunburned and lose their taste. Therefore, the mangoes need to be exposed to the sun until the very last minute and bagged at the right moment.

 

A photo of bagged mangoes.

 

The mangoes raised with such care and attention as boxed girls are juicy with very high sugar content. If you come to Iriomote Island, please stop by Iriomotejima Hirai Farm and taste them once!

 

〜Information about Hirai Noen, Iriomote Island

Farm Name: Iriomotejima Hirai Farm

Access: 681-2 Uehara, Taketomi-cho, Yaeyama-gun, Okinawa, Japan

Phone hours: 080-8563-6690 (8:00-20:00), 0980-85-7172 (14:00-20:00)

 

Sashimi of "Irabucha," a local fish popular among locals

The local people also love the ilabucha! Ilabucha is a member of the buhai family of fish commonly caught in Okinawa, and can grow to nearly 70 cm in length.

 

<イラブチャーの写真>

 

It has a distinctive blue body, and although it may not look appetizing at first glance, it tastes excellent! This is why it is very familiar to the locals and has been loved for many years.

Hatsueda is recommended if you want to eat Irabucha sashimi. At Hatsueda, you can eat fresh fish caught in Iriomote Island. Irabucha sashimi is light, white and has a refreshing taste. In fact, besides fish, there is also nigiri of Ishizaka beef, so you can enjoy a wide range of delicious foods of Iriomote Island.

 

~Shop Information~.

Name: Hatsue

Access: 195 Aza-Uehara, Taketomi-cho, Yaeyama-gun, Okinawa, Japan

Phone number: 0980-85-6023 

Open: [Sunday - Thursday]11:00 - 14:00,18:00 - 21:30 (LO: [21:00])

　　　　 [Friday] 11:00-14:00

Closed: Saturday

 

Enjoy the taste of "Ishigaki beef" also produced in Iriomote Island

We told you that you can have nigiri of Ishigaki beef at Hatsueda introduced above. That's right. Ishigaki beef is also raised in Iriomote Island and you can eat it!

Ishigaki beef is a brand of cattle indigenous to Ishigaki Island. Ishigaki beef raised on grass grown in fields with clean air and water is stress-free and in very good condition. It is also known as rare and high rank meat.

We hope you will enjoy Irabucha and Ishigaki beef at Hatsue.

 

in the end

How was the food and specialty of Ishigaki Island? There were many delicious foods such as eelabutcher, Ishigaki beef, mangoes, fish, meat, and fruits!

Eating fresh ingredients from the great nature of Iriomote Island will surely make your enjoyable trip even better.

Please have a wonderful Iriomote Island life by seeing beautiful and spectacular scenery, enjoying activities and eating delicious food.

Thank you for reading to the end.