The Tofu Kingdom
The Tofu Kingdom:
Okinawans eat a lot of pork, but even more tofu. Okinawa boasts the number one spot in Japan for tofu consumption.
Chanpuru, the quintessential family dish, is a stir-fried dish based on tofu, which is easy to get year-round, plus pork, processed pork meats, and seasonal vegetables. Chanpuru dishes use various ingredients and a particular variation will be called "such-and-such Chanpuru" depending on the name of the main ingredient. If the dish has lots of bean sprouts, then it is bean-sprout Chanpuru. If Goya (bitter melon) is the featured ingredient, then you are eating Goya Chanpuru. Whatever else there is, if tofu is the main ingredient, then it is tofu Chanpuru. The protein in the tofu and pork complements the vitamins and minerals in the vegetables to make Chanpuru a dish offering well-balanced nutrition.
Besides Chanpuru, it is fair to say that tofu graces the dinner table daily in other dishes - soups, fried foods and as a side with sake.


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