Have You Ever Been to Okinawa Prefecture?

Have You Ever Been to Okinawa Prefecture?

您去过冲绳县吗？

Okinawa is the southernmost prefecture in Japan, consisting of over 100 inhabited and uninhabited islands. The name Okinawa means "rope in the open sea", a fairly apt description of this long stretch of islands between the four main islands of Japan and Taiwan. These subtropical islands are the country's top beach destination in summer.

冲绳是日本最南端的县，由100多个有人居住和无人居住的岛屿组成。冲绳这个名字的意思是“大海的绳索”，这是对日本四大主岛和台湾岛之间的这一漫长岛屿群的一个相当贴切的描述。这些亚热带岛屿是该国夏季的顶级海滩旅游胜地。

If you have ever visited Okinawa you have probably enjoyed countless beaches known for their best features such as white sand, crystal clear water and coral reefs; walked around Shuri Castle or Shurijo Castle which is the most significant monument to present Ryukyu Kingdom which used to serve as a royal palace; and visited Churaumi Aquarium which considered as Japan’s best aquarium and has a massive fish tank holding 7,500,000 liters of water with whale sharks, manta rays and hundreds of other sea creatures swimming freely.

如果你去过冲绳，你一定会欣赏到不计其数的海滩，他们有着雪白的沙子、清澈的海水和美丽珊瑚礁；绕着首里城堡散散步，首里城是琉球王国的王宫，是现存最重要琉球王国的纪念馆；参观一下日本最好的水族馆的Churaumi水族馆，该水族馆有一个巨大的容器，可容纳75万升水，里面自由生活着鲸鲨、蝠鲼和数百种其他海洋生物。

After enjoying these activities, you might have satiated your appetite with the delicious Okinawan cuisine dishes such as umibudo (literally "sea grapes"), a type of edible seaweed that only grows in the warm waters of Okinawa and look like tiny strings of grapes, hence the name; or Okinawan soba noodles, a dish containing wheat flour noodles cooked in a soup stock made of pork bones and bonito, accompanied with pork belly. And the drink to wash down the food was likely awamori, an alcoholic beverage indigenous and unique to Okinawa. It is made from long grain indica rice, and is not a direct product of brewing (like sake) but of distillation (similar to shochu).

在享受了这些美好活动之后，你肯定会用美味的冲绳美食来满足你的胃口哦！像海葡萄，（字面意思是“海葡萄”），一种只生长在冲绳温暖水域的可食用海藻，看起来像一小串葡萄，因此得名；或者冲绳拉面，这道美食使用小麦粉制作，猪骨汤配上鲣鱼和猪肚。搭配食物的饮品，一定是冲绳本土的特色酒冲awamori。它由长粒籼米制成，不是直接酿造而成（如清酒）而是蒸馏而成（类似于烧酒）。

If you would like to remember the taste of awamori, we recommend Ryukyu Classic Awamori!

如果你还回忆awamori的味道，我们推荐琉球经典awamori！

Awamori - Traditional Okinawan Liquor

Awamori——传统冲绳酒

Ryukyu Classic is made by Shinzato Shuzo, which is said to be the oldest existing Okinawan distillery, inheriting traditional method and spirit from 170 years ago. Their brewing methods have been guarded by generations, and are believed to continue to inherit the historical and cultural values of the Okinawan craftsmanship monument.

琉球经典是由新里酒庄（Shinzato Shuzo）酿造的，据说这是冲绳现存最古老的酿酒厂，继承了170年前的传统制作方法和精神。它们的酿造方法传承了数代，成为了冲绳历史和文化的代表。

It is a soft, slightly sweet and easy to drink Awamori that is slightly different from the common image of a strong alcoholic tasting Awamori. The secret of its drinkability is a blend of atmospherically distilled aged liquor with a mellow, full-bodied flavor and decompression-distilled liquor that has a fruity aroma and a clean mouthfeel, resulting in a soft, slightly sweet taste. The gentle aroma and light flavor make it easy to pair with food, making it a perfect food sake.

这是一种柔和、微甜且非常容易入口的淡味酒，与普通的浓烈酒略有不同。易于饮用的秘诀在于将经过空气蒸馏的陈酿酒与醇厚、浓郁的风味和减压蒸馏酒混合在一起，使其具微甜清爽的口感，从而产生柔和、略带清甜味道。柔和微甜的口感，极易搭配食物，成为完美的佐餐清酒。