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Drink · Japan
Nihonshu
Japanese sake, a fermented beverage made from rice, koji and water. It is an official geographical indication of Japan and is served chilled, at room temperature, or warm, in small cups.
Flavors · Okinawa
Goya champuru
Stir-fry of goya, the bitter melão-de-são-caetano, with firm Okinawan tofu, egg and pork. It’s the best-known champuru from Okinawa, made at home and served in restaurants across the prefecture.
Traditional dish from Okinawa
Also known as: Goya chanpuru, Goya-champuru, ゴーヤーチャンプルー, Goya chample
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Goya champuru — Okinawa, Japan
Goya champuru is a stir-fry of goya, a green, wrinkled fruit with a bitter taste known as melão-de-são-caetano, with tofu, egg and pork. The goya is halved, seeded and sliced thin; the tofu is browned in chunks, the pork is stir-fried, the beaten egg coats everything, and the seasoning is salt and shoyu, sometimes topped with flakes of dried bonito.
Champuru is an Okinawan word linked to the idea of mixing, and it refers to stir-fries of tofu with seasonal vegetables. According to Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, goya champuru is the most representative of these dishes, eaten in Okinawan homes and known throughout the country. Tofu is indispensable: Okinawan shima-dofu is firm and holds up to the stir-fry.
The goya’s bitterness is softened by the tofu and egg, and those who wish can salt and squeeze the slices beforehand to remove some of the bitterness. The pork can be cooked pork belly or canned pork, which is common in the prefecture.
Okinawa is Japan’s largest producer of goya. Goya is a summer fruit, but today it’s available year-round, and goya champuru is made at home and served in restaurants across the prefecture, often as a side to rice.
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Where it comes from
Okinawa
The most representative champuru of Okinawa.
Ingredients
Goya, firm Okinawan tofu (shima-dofu), egg, pork belly or canned pork, salt, shoyu; sometimes katsuobushi.
How it is eaten
Served hot, with rice and soup, as a main dish or side dish.
When it is eaten
Year-round; traditionally in summer, goya season.
Your questions
Questions about Goya champuru
Is goya champuru very bitter?
Goya has a bitter taste, but tofu and egg soften it. Many households salt and squeeze the slices beforehand to remove some of the bitterness.
What does champuru mean?
It’s an Okinawan word linked to the idea of mixing and names the stir-fries of tofu with vegetables. Goya champuru is the best known of them.
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Beyond the guide
