Food in Okinawa is different from the other prefectures ones in Japan, because of the difference in culture and climate between Okinawa and mainland Japan.
Some of Japanese ingredients don’t grow in Okinawa. Food was influenced by Taiwan and Kagoshima which are closer.
Surprisingly, local people don’t eat a lot of fish despite the fact that Okinawa is surrounded by sea.

After Ryukyu was taken part in Kagoshima, some Japanese cuisines were introduced and Okinawa soba (a very popular and well known dish) was created . Also, dishes from Brazil, Hawaii and the Philippines were introduced and took root here thanks to people who emigrated from Okinawa to there.

After world war II, US armies brought processed food that made up original Okinawa food, such as canned pork based recipes and taco rice.
Pork is one of the most favorite ingredients in local food.
The use of pork started because of historical reasons. The Ryukyu Dynasty tried to build favorable relations with China and whenever they hosted banquet for the trade group they cooked a lot of pork.
Since then pig farming spread all over Okinawa.

About Okinawa