Shuri, You Must Be Joking

Late September brought some slightly cooler breezes and relief from the stifling humidity. It also brought our first visitors to Okinawa: Grandma Maggie and Poppy! They arrived to find two very excited girls anxiously awaiting their visit.

                             

Wrangling granddaughters at Shureimon, the main entrance to the castle grounds

After a day of adjusting to the climate and the time zone, we all headed to Shurijo Castle, one of Okinawa's UNESCO World Heritage sites. Shurijo Castle was built in the 14the century and served as the center of th Ryukyu Kingdom for nearly 500 years. Although destroyed in the Battle of Okinawa, it was restored in 1992. 

The girls enjoyed the castle visit immensely. There was a stamp rally map which encouraged them (and therefore us) to pay attention and explore most of the vast grounds. In the photo above, Maddox is standing at Iri-no-Azana which is an observatory area. In the background is Naha city, and the East China Sea beyond that. 

                               

The building above is called the Seiden, where visitors were seen and ceremonies held. My photo doesn't do justice to the vibrant colors and intricate painting and carvings that embellish the building.

After securing enough stamps to receive stickers, we finally sat down for lunch. We found a restaurant that the kids liked: orange juice and white rice for Zoe, ginger ale and taco rice for Maddox. Maggie and I both ordered a daily special lunch set that came with some flavorful stir-fried noodles and an assortment of small side dishes. I confidently tried everything, and enjoyed most of it. There was one side dish that had an interesting-looking ingredient. It was a bit chewy, but the seasoning was good. I was curious what it was because it didn't look familiar. I thought perhaps it was a root vegetable I had not yet seen.

Kore wa nan desuka? What is this?

The waitress laughed a bit, touched her ear, and said "pig". Awesome. I had just unknowingly eaten pig's ear. Of course, once I knew what it was, I couldn't take another bite. I don't mind eating animals, just not their ears, I guess. Maggie had also tasted it and had rejected it already for its texture. The dish is called mimigaa, so now I know what to watch out for.

The conspiratorial looks in this photo make me wonder what they knew all along. Zoe loves a good joke.

In related news, pig's ear has lots of collagen. When you see me next, you might notice the increased elasticity in my skin and my minimal wrinkles. My NC peeps, maybe you can support the local farmers by offering to boil the leftover pig ears for some down-home style mimigaa; I am pretty sure the dish would go well with sweet tea and hush puppies.

Tune in next time for more episodes with our guest stars!