Mimiga (pig's ear)
ミミガーMimigaa (ミミガー), 'ear skin'DishYear-round
Mimiga is boiled pig's ear skin sliced thin and dressed, most often as mimiga sashimi in a peanut and vinegar sauce, and its texture is chewy and crunchy like cartilage. Supermarkets and markets in Okinawa sell it ready-sliced, and izakaya serve it as a side to drink with.
Photo pelican · Flickr · CC BY-SA 2.0
The ear is singed to remove the hair, boiled for about 30 minutes, then rubbed with salt and washed to take off the salt and fat. MAFF's mimiga sashimi tosses the thin strips with cucumber and blanched bean sprouts in a peanut vinegar made from peanut butter, white miso, sugar, salt and vinegar. Sashimi in this case means a dressed dish, and nothing is raw. MAFF likens the bite to Chinese jellyfish.
It belongs to the same thrift that puts the whole pig on the Okinawan table, and MAFF notes that mimiga hardly travels outside the prefecture. You will find it in school and hospital meals, in supermarket chill cabinets and on izakaya menus as a cold starter. In the Makishi market area, butchers also sell chiragaa, the whole skin of the pig's face, as a curiosity for visitors and an ingredient for locals.
Worth knowing
- Order mimiga with a first glass of awamori or Orion; the vinegar dressing suits a cold drink.
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FAQ
Quick answers about Mimiga (pig's ear)よくある質問
What is mimiga?
Mimiga is pig's ear skin, boiled, cleaned and sliced thin, and Okinawans eat it dressed as mimiga sashimi in a peanut and vinegar sauce. The texture is chewy and crunchy, which MAFF likens to Chinese jellyfish.
Is mimiga sashimi raw?
No. Mimiga sashimi is cooked pig's ear in a dressing; in this dish sashimi means a dressed side, a usage MAFF explains on its page for the dish.
How do you order Mimiga (pig's ear)?
Order mimiga sashimi (ミミガー刺身) as a cold side at an izakaya, or buy ready-sliced mimiga at a supermarket and dress it with ponzu or the peanut sauce sold beside it.
Is there a vegetarian Mimiga (pig's ear)?
No. Mimiga is pork skin, and the dressing in MAFF's recipe is peanut vinegar with white miso.
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