Umibudo (sea grapes)
海ぶどうNkyafu (ンキャフ) for wild stands on MiyakoIngredient
Umibudo (sea grapes) is the seaweed Caulerpa lentillifera, whose strands of tiny green beads pop in the mouth, and Okinawa farms most of Japan's supply in land-based tanks. You eat it raw with a vinegar-soy dip, dressed at the last moment so the beads stay firm.
Photo kawanet · Flickr · CC BY 2.0 and others, credited in the gallery
The Japanese name for the plant is kubirezuta, which means 'constricted ivy' after the narrow stalk under each bead, and the food trade calls it umibudo or green caviar. Land-based farming took off in Okinawa in the 1990s, and farmed output reached about 536 tonnes in 2023. Wild stands still grow on Kume-jima and around Miyako, where the local name is nkyafu. Toya fishing port in Yomitan farms it alongside its fixed-net catch.
Producers keep and ship sea grapes at room temperature. Fresh umibudo lasts about a week, and salted packs keep for months. Pour the sanbaizu or ponzu over just before you eat, because the beads shrink and go limp if they sit in the dressing. On Miyako the old way was a dip of vinegar and soy, and today you will also find sea grapes on rice bowls, in salads and on top of noodles.
Worth knowing
- Keep a souvenir pack out of the hotel fridge, since producers store and ship umibudo at room temperature.
- Dip a strand at a time instead of pouring the sauce over the whole plate.
15 places
Where to eat Umibudo (sea grapes)店
Farmers Market Miyako Atarasu Ichiba
Hirara · Miyako-jima
Passion fruit ¥540 in a November 2024 Tabelog review; prices vary by season
Cafe Cahaya Bulan
Bise · Motobu
Poke bowls, loco moco and acai bowl ¥1,650; pancakes ¥1,430 (official menu, 2026). The café puts the average spend at about ¥1,300.
fuu cafe
Motobu · Sesoko-jima
Tabelog reviewers average ¥1,000–1,999 per person at lunch (2026).
Goya
Hirara · Miyako-jima
Tabelog reviewers report ¥4,000–4,999 a head at dinner (2026)
Hitoshi Honten
Ishigaki City · Ishigaki-jima
Tabelog reviewers report ¥5,000–5,999 (2026); the Tabelog menu lists tuna gunkan with sea grapes at ¥150 a piece and sea urchin somen champuru at ¥650.
Kaiho Maru
Motobu
Tabelog reviewers average ¥1,000–1,999 per person at both lunch and dinner (2026).
Karakara to Chibuguwa
Naha
Mapple's March 2025 prices: Shurei three-year kusu (43 degrees) ¥1,800 per gō, standard 30-degree awamori ¥1,000 per gō, otoshi cover dish ¥500. Tabelog reviewers spend ¥3,000–7,999.
Kinokawa
Motobu
Goya champuru set meal ¥1,200, mozuku tempura ¥700 and umibudo ¥550 (Tabelog review, October 2026).
Nantou Shokurakuen
Eef Beach Area · Kume-jima
Tabelog puts dinner at ¥3,000–3,999; reviewers report ¥4,000–4,999
Shirasa
Kouri Village · Kouri-jima
Uni-don set with mozuku miso soup ¥3,500 and sashimi set ¥2,500 (Tabelog review, August 2026); the special uni bowl ¥5,000 (July 2026).
Steak House 88 Tsuji Honten
Naminoue · Naha
88 special red-meat steak 200 g ¥4,158, tacos (two) ¥550 (Tabelog review, September 2026); the shop gives its average spend as ¥2,300
Toya Fishing Port fish market
Yomitan · West coast
Seafood
Usagiya Ishigaki
Ishigaki City · Ishigaki-jima
Tabelog reviewers report ¥4,000–4,999 (2026). Table charge ¥300 and live charge ¥800 per person.
Shimauta Sanshin Live Izakaya Yuikaji
Ishigaki City · Ishigaki-jima
Tabelog reviewers report ¥4,000–4,999 (2026).
Yunangi
Naha
Tabelog reviewers spend ¥2,000–2,999 a head; a July 2026 bill listed a bottle of Orion at ¥690 and jimami tofu at ¥620. Mapple priced fu champuru at ¥780 in March 2025.
FAQ
Quick answers about Umibudo (sea grapes)よくある質問
Where is umibudo farmed?
Most of Japan's umibudo is farmed in Okinawa in land-based tanks, a method that took off in the 1990s, and farmed output reached about 536 tonnes in 2023. Wild sea grapes also grow on Kume-jima and around Miyako.
Should you refrigerate umibudo?
No. Umibudo should be kept at room temperature, and Okinawan producers store and ship it that way. Fresh sea grapes last about a week, and salted packs keep for months.
How do you order Umibudo (sea grapes)?
Order umibudo (海ぶどう) as a side plate at an izakaya or shokudo; it arrives in a mound with a small dish of sanbaizu or ponzu. Seafood restaurants also serve it on kaisen-don rice bowls.
Is there a vegetarian Umibudo (sea grapes)?
Yes. The seaweed itself is vegan. The dipping sauce is the issue, since sanbaizu and ponzu can contain bonito dashi; ask for 'su to shoyu dake' (酢と醤油だけ, just vinegar and soy sauce).
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