"Champuru" Ryukyuan Cuisine
During the Ryukyu Kingdom period, what was called "Ukansen cuisine" was developed in order to entertain the Sappo envoys from China. This cuisine was based on Chinese cuisine. To entertain the Satsuma viceroys and their retinues, Japanese food was prepared. Generally, the royal court offered Japanese food at public occasions. In due course, Japanese food came to form the daily diet of the court.
No mention of anything resembling present-day Ryukyu cuisine appears in the records of the Ryukyu Kingdom. When the kingdom was abolished, the cuisine of the royal court disappeared along with it. It is said that the chefs (Houchuu) of the court subsequently introduced Chinese food and Japanese food to the entertainment district and Japanese-style restaurants of Naha. The women of Naha and the chefs in Naha's nightlife district introduced innovations, eventually producing what is today called Ryukyu cuisine.
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