Mimiga Crunchy Pig Ear Delicacy

Mimiga is an Okinawan regional dish of pig ear that is boiled and thinly sliced. It symbolizes the Okinawan food culture of using every part of the pig, and offers the unique crunchy texture of cartilage. It is enjoyed with various seasonings such as ponzu, vinegar miso, or a peanut dressing.

Highlights

Rich in collagen, it charms with a crunchy bite and a refreshing flavor. It can be tossed with cucumber and island vegetables or dressed in peanut miso, with each shop offering its own arrangement. It pairs superbly with awamori and is a standard snack at local pubs.

Enjoying the Seasons

The refreshing vinegared style is perfect for stirring the appetite in the hot season. It appears on pub menus year round, but the chilled summer version is especially recommended.

Access and Basic Information

You can taste it at pubs around the Makishi Public Market and Kokusai Street in Naha. Deli shops in the market also sell it in packs, easy to take home and enjoy. As a single plate at an izakaya it runs to around a few hundred yen, an easy snack to order. Market deli packs are even more affordable and suit a nightcap back at your lodging.

Practical Travel Notes

Mimiga is ideal to enjoy with awamori at an Okinawan izakaya. The refreshing vinegar miso version also makes a fine palate cleanser between fatty dishes like rafute and tebichi. As a dish symbolizing the Okinawan culture of using every part of the pig, sampling mimiga, rafute, tebichi, and nakami soup little by little reveals its depth. Taking a deli pack from the market back to your lodging and enjoying it at night with awamori is a pleasure unique to travel. The crunchy texture divides opinion, so if it is your first time, start with the easy going vinegar miso version.

A Quick Tip

The unusual texture may surprise you at first, but the vinegar miso version is easy to eat and a great introduction. Be sure to enjoy it with awamori. Rich in collagen, it is also popular with those who care about beauty and skin.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Main areas where it is handed down: In the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' "Our Local Cuisine" it is listed as being found throughout Okinawa Prefecture. Made from the skin of pig's ears, it is a dish that symbolises a food culture in which "everything but the squeal" is eaten.
• Worth knowing: "Mimiga sashimi" is not raw but a dressed dish, traditionally tossed in a peanut vinegar dressing made from peanut butter, miso, sugar, salt and rice vinegar. Anyone with a peanut allergy should check how it is seasoned.
• A public facility where you can buy it: Naha City Daiichi Makishi Public Market (2-10-1 Matsuo, Naha City, 098-867-6560) / 8:00-22:00. Closed on the fourth Sunday of each month (except December), January 1-3 and during the Old Bon festival. On the first floor there are 12 butchers and 16 fishmongers.
• Access: About a 10-minute walk from Makishi Station or Miebashi Station on the Yui Rail. There is no car park.

* Opening hours and prices vary from shop to shop.

(Sources: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries "Our Local Cuisine: Mimiga Sashimi", Naha City Daiichi Makishi Public Market official website, Naha City official website)

Information Sources

This article is compiled from Okinawa Prefecture's tourism information together with information published by each shop. Prices, menus and seasonality can change, so please check each shop's official information for details.

Sightseeing Checklist

• Budget guide: A few hundred yen for a single serving
• Where to eat it: Izakaya pubs, local cuisine restaurants and diners across Okinawa Prefecture
• Best time of day: Both lunchtime and evening; a good match for awamori or beer
• Avoiding the crowds: Easy to buy as a souvenir too
• Combine it with: Vinegared miso or ponzu, awamori, and Okinawa's pork culture