I am KONY, a “Shima naicha”, (i.e. the people who moved from the mainland to Okinawa), 10 years have passed since we moved to Okinawa due to my husband’s job transfer, and I am now a total fan of Okinawa.
Okinawa has its own unique food culture, and there are many dishes that you cannot find in mainland Japan! It is not only the food menu, but also the sweets and desserts. When I first moved to Okinawa, I only ate these unique Okinawan snacks at tourist facilities, but recently I have started eating them at home with my children.
So this time, I, “Shima naicha”, would like to introduce “Okinawa Zenzai (sweet soup made of red beans)” which I think is “perfect for summer in Okinawa.
Is Okinawa’s “zenzai” cold?
Outside of Okinawa Prefecture, most people in Japan think of zenzai as a warm dessert made of sweetened azuki beans and mochi (rice cake). Of course, I had this image as well, and I had the feeling that “zenzai” was something to be eaten during the cold winter season.
However, Okinawa’s zenzai is the exact opposite of that image. Okinawan zenzai is cold!
Looks just like shaved ice
Okinawa Zenzai is shaved ice topped with kintoki beans sweetened with brown sugar or sugar. It is similar to the “Matcha Kintoki (a byname of red sweet beans)” on the shaved ice menu.
The balance between the refreshing taste of the shaved ice and the sweet kintoki beans is very delicious, and will cool down the summer heat in a flash!
They are also available at soba noodle shops and convenience stores as well as zenzai shops!
Zenzai, a popular Okinawan sweet, has appeared at a variety of specialty stores, from long-established establishments to oddballs. In addition, it is served as a dessert at Okinawa soba restaurants!
We recommend that you enjoy Okinawan food to the fullest, such as “hot and rich Okinawa soba for lunch, and then enjoy cold zenzai for dessert to refresh you! This is a great way to enjoy Okinawan food to the fullest. Whenever we have lunch at an Okinawa soba restaurant, we always order Zenzai as well.
Okinawa Zenzai is also sold at convenience stores. Especially popular is “Fujiya’s Zenzai” sold at Okinawa Family Mart. When it first went on sale, it was sold out so quickly that some people had to go to different convenience stores to find it. Recently, it is also sold in supermarkets, so those who are looking for it can purchase it.
Recommended for Okinawa Zenzai
Another major characteristic of Okinawa zenzai is that the taste and ingredients used vary from store to store. Some stores use only kintoki-mame (kidney beans), while others serve zenzai with shiratama (white rice balls) or mochi (rice cakes) to make you feel full.
Let me introduce some of the recommended stores in the Naha area and the northern area!
Recommended restaurant in Naha area：Sennichi
I fell in love with Okinawan zenzai and have been frequenting Sennichi since my first visit in Naha City. The store is filled with the nostalgia of “good old Okinawa,” and is always crowded with locals and tourists.
The charm of Sennichi is that it offers not only zenzai, but also taiyaki and imagawa-yaki!
They are baked at the entrance of the store, so you can eat them while they are still hot, but it is not unusual for them to be sold out by mid-morning on Saturdays and Sundays! If you want to try taiyaki and imagawa-yaki with zenzai, we recommend that you come early.
Orders are taken verbally at the counter and payment is made.
It takes a little time to be served because the shaving process starts after the order is placed. You can be seated and wait, but when your order is ready, the owner will call out “zenzai no okyaku-san(zenzai is ready!!)” . When you are called, go to the counter to receive your order.
Self-service sampincha tea and water are also available.
Here is the Sennichi’s zenzai
At first glance, it looks like shaved ice. However, soft kintoki-mame (kidney beans) are packed under the ice! The nostalgic and gentle flavor will make you forget the heat of Okinawa.
There are also other menu items covered with strawberry milk! It is also a great experience for the whole family to enjoy.
《Sennichi》
Address: 1-7-14 Kume, Naha City, Okinawa, Japan
Phone: 098-868-5387
Business hours: 11:30-19:00 (until 20:00 during summer)
Closed: Mondays (if Monday is a national holiday, the store is closed on the following Tuesday; there may be other days when the store is closed, so it is best to call to confirm)
Parking: Not available (coin-operated parking is available in the vicinity of the restaurant)
Access
▶︎ By public transportation
About 25 minutes from Naha Airport. From the domestic terminal, board a bus bound for Naha Bus Terminal. Get off the bus “Okinawa Times Mae”(in front of Okinawa Times) and walk about 10 minutes.
▶︎ By car
About 8 minutes from Naha Airport.
Take Route 331 and Route 58, and turn left at Izumizaki intersection.
Recommended store in the northern area: Aragaki Zenzaiya
We recommend that you stop by at “Aragaki Zenzai-ya” along with sightseeing in the northern area of the main island, such as Churaumi Aquarium. “Kishimoto Shokudo” located nearby is also a popular restaurant, so many people visit there for sightseeing.
Niigaki Zenzaiya is a long-established shop that has been serving zenzai for 60 years! It is also a place where grandmothers who seem to be neighbors choose to have a “yuntaku”, which means a chat or a well-informed meeting in Okinawan dialect, and is loved by the locals as well!
The kintoki-mame (red kidney beans) are cooked and sweetened just perfectly with the fluffy ice. The ice melts as you eat it, but it tastes good all the way through without becoming watery!
Perhaps influenced by Corona, it also offers take-out. It would be nice to take out the chilly zenzai and enjoy it in the car.
《Aragaki Zenzai-ya》
Address：11-2 Wakuchi, Motobu-cho, Kunigamison, Okinawa Prefecture
Phone: 098-047-4731
Business hours: 12:00 – 18:00 (may sell out around 16:00 on Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, and other holidays)
Closed: Mondays (if Monday is a holiday, the next Tuesday is closed; there are other days when the store is closed, so it is best to call to confirm)
Parking: Not available (free parking is available nearby)
Access
▶︎ By public transportation
About 2.5 hours from Naha Airport. Take the YKB-888 bus at the domestic terminal bus stop. Get off at Motobu High School Entrance and walk about 10 minutes.
▶︎ By car
Approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes from Naha Airport by car. Exit at the Kyoda Interchange on the Okinawa Expressway, and drive 23 km toward Motobu-cho via National Route 58.
The first time I had Okinawa Zenzai was at Aragaki Zenzai-ya. A friend I met in Okinawa invited me, “Let’s go eat zenzai! I thought “Zenzai = warm food.
I thought “Zenzai = warm food,” so I was shocked to find out that it was shaved ice and that the old lady was carrying it home in a pot…everything was a shock to me on my début.
However, when I tried it, it was really delicious! Especially in the hot season, zenzai is an exquisite treat. It cools you down and satisfies your stomach. Please taste the deliciousness along with this shock!
Written by KONY
Translated by Rie
