Preserving Okinawan Food Traditions

One local delicacy many older Okinawans still remember fondly is “mo-dofu,” a traditional dish made using a type of seaweed known as “mo.” For some residents, memories of the dish date back to childhood lunch boxes packed with the soft seaweed tofu prepared by mothers and grandmothers.

“The taste is unforgettable,” one resident recalled. “That was the taste of the south. I don’t want it to disappear.”

Now, people determined to revive the traditional dish are working together to preserve both the recipe and the marine environment that supports it.

One woman who joined the effort described mo-dofu as her favorite food, adding with a laugh that she almost did not want too many people to know about it because of how special it felt.

“It has been carefully passed down for generations,” she said. “People used to eat it often, but younger generations hardly know it anymore.”

Another participant said the seaweed itself is becoming increasingly difficult to find, making the preservation effort even more urgent.

After spending around an hour diving in the sea, the group managed to gather enough seaweed for cooking.

The report then turned to Onna Village, where a research institute focused on preserving and restoring subtropical ecosystems has succeeded in cultivating the rare seaweed.

Researcher Uchimura explained that once the seaweed is placed in circulating seawater, it can double in size within a week.

“If you leave it for two weeks, it becomes four times larger. After three weeks, eight times larger,” he said.

By continuously circulating seawater through tanks, the institute has established a method for cultivating the seaweed, which has become increasingly scarce in the wild. Uchimura hopes that cultivated seaweed can eventually be returned to Okinawa’s coastal waters.

Behind the effort lies deep concern over the changing state of Okinawa’s marine environment.

“The marine ecosystem is already in a devastated condition,” Uchimura warned. “People look at the beautiful blue color of the ocean and think everything is fine, but that beauty can also mean there is nothing left living underneath.”

He said warming seas, red soil runoff, wastewater, pesticides, detergents carried from land, and coastal development are all believed to be contributing to the destruction of marine ecosystems.

“If we leave things as they are, nature alone will not restore itself in time,” he said. “Humans need to work together with nature to help bring it back.”

The group later gathered to make mo-dofu using freshly harvested seaweed rather than the dried version normally used in homes.

The dish is prepared by mixing the seaweed with ingredients such as miso, salt, oil, and soy sauce, with each household traditionally developing its own flavor.

Taking advantage of the seaweed’s natural ability to solidify, the dish resembles a terrine and can be combined with a variety of ingredients. During the cooking session, participants experimented with new arrangements in an effort to broaden the possibilities of the traditional food.

The reactions were overwhelmingly positive.

“It’s incredibly delicious,” one participant said. “I’ve never had it fresh before.”

Another added, “It made me realize that if things continue as they are, the future where the sea becomes empty has already begun.”

Participants said they hoped more people would become aware of the reality hidden beneath Okinawa’s picturesque beaches and begin thinking about what could be done to protect the environment.

“Preserving food culture is not just about protecting recipes,” one participant said. “It also means protecting the natural environment that nurtures those ingredients.”

The discovery of successful cultivation methods may offer new hope for preserving both mo seaweed and mo-dofu as part of Okinawa’s regional identity for future generations.

Source: 沖縄ニュースOTV

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