There’s probably no staple food more synonymous with Okinawa than its purple sweet potato, locally known as Beni-Imo. Its widespread use as a popular ingredient ranges from a rice substitute in a bento box to a plethora of sweet treats, most notably the famous Beni-Imo ice cream, found virtually anywhere, both as an industrial Haagen-Dazs mini-box and as homemade gelato at one of the local ice cream parlors.

When compared to the more common type of sweet potato, Beni-Imo has a smoother texture and a slight sweetness, making it ideal as an ice cream flavor. Additionally, the purple sweet potato is considered a superfood due to its high concentration of vitamins and antioxidants, attributed by some as the main factor behind the exceptionally high longevity among Okinawans, thereby serving as the perfect conscience cleaner for whoever opts to feel guilty after gorging on this heavenly dessert.

We often view sugar merely as a supplement for sweetening beverages and desserts, yet what if I told you that Okinawans regard it as much more than simply an additive? Well, in fact, the local sugar cane agricultural output is pretty significant, evident by the numerous crop fields scattered around the archipelago’s rural parts.

The cane-based Okinawan brown sugar has a distinct aroma, slightly reminiscent of molasses, and is widely incorporated into many local sweets, fashionable bubble tea drinks, and even some savory bites. Therefore, it won’t come as a surprise that sugar cane is also a popular ice cream flavor, and unlike its title, it’s only mildly sweet, giving much room for deep earthy aromas to interact with your taste buds.

One of Okinawa’s most popular souvenirs, Chinsuko is the local version of shortbread, made of flour mixed with lard, sugar, and a pinch of salt, giving the cookie its distinct hybrid flavor. While it’s still not fully conclusive whether this treat originated from China, Portugal, or a combination of both, it became a luxury item among the Ryukyu royal dynasty when the archipelago was an independent monarchy.

The modern-day salt cookie is made solely with local ingredients, like the renowned Chatani salt, proudly offered to tourists as gifts in Naha’s endless array of souvenir shops, selling many surprising versions of Chinsuko, like the Matcha green-tea flavored cookie, Beni-Imo, and even brown cane sugar. Even though the cookie itself is undoubtedly an incredible treat in its own right, when mixed with local vanilla ice cream, it gets even better. Contrasted by the creamy texture, the ice cream is both crunchy, savory, sweet, and milky.

Native to the archipelago of Okinawa, the Shiiquasa is a local flat citrus, used as an important ingredient in local cuisine, varying from a mere dish dressing to jams, juices, and various types of desserts. This lime-like citrus has a unique flavor of sourness accompanied by a slight bitter aftertaste, somewhere between a lime and grapefruit.

Beyond its exceptional and unfamiliar flavor, Shiiquasa peel is rich in synephrine, a chemical substance responsible for an increase in metabolism, and tangeretin, a compound associated with anti-inflammatory processes, making it yet another Okinawan food item bestowed with plenty of health benefits. Shiiquasa is rarely mixed with a cream-based gelato, as it is rather much more appealing as a sorbet or a sherbet, often best suited when served as a refreshing dessert after a heavy meal.

During the last decades, Japan has developed a world-renowned coffee culture, surpassing many prominent coffee superpowers, albeit inherently it’s still much a nation of tea, as it’s by far the most popular drink, both hot and cold. Okinawa is no exception when it comes to beverage preferences, reflected in dozens of places across Kokusaidori Street in Naha, which specialize in exclusive bubble tea sipped by incessant swarms of enthusiastic customers.

While green tea is still the most widespread type, it’s the black tea of Nago, in northern Okinawa, that is considered the crown jewel of the local tea scene. Mixed with milk and roasted brown sugar, it has a truly unique and deep flavor, unparalleled by any other milk tea. As an ice cream scoop, the Ryukyu Royal Milk Tea creamy gelato is delightful, fully encompassing the tea’s spectrum of fragrances, feeling like an authentic frozen version of the real thing.