Jimami tofu

Jiimaami is the Okinawan word for the peanut, the bean that sets its pods in the ground. The cook soaks raw peanuts, peels them, blends them with water and squeezes the milk through cloth, then stirs it with imokuzu (sweet-potato starch) over medium heat for about half an hour until it turns thick enough to lift on the pestle. It sets in a mould, gets cut into squares and arrives with the sauce poured around it so the top stays clean.

MAFF says peanuts were a precious ingredient in the Ryukyu Kingdom, so jimami tofu was a dish for special days, and families still serve it at memorial services and celebrations. Ready-made packs have since turned it into an everyday food, sold in supermarkets and souvenir shops. MAFF describes it as firm and springy yet smooth, with a clear peanut aroma, much like sesame tofu.

Okinawan izakaya and Ryukyu-cuisine restaurants list it as a small starter. Shimujo in Shuri adds a piece to its soba set, and Urizun in Asato makes its own.