By Ken Ige, Star-Bulletin
A replica of an Okinawan gateway dwarfs Thelma
Momohara Lam who prepares for this weekend's fair.
This weekend, cross a bridge to Okinawan delicacies, wares, entertainment and prize drawings. A myriad imports are arriving from Honolulu's sister community of Naha City for an event themed "Okinawa-Hawaii Bridge to the 21st Century." Okinawans show off
Fair features food, products and parade
The Okinawan Produce, Tourism and Cultural Fair showcases a host of foodstuffs contributing to Okinawans' longest life expectancy in the world. Research shows the women live to an average age of 85, while men live to 78, said isle engineer Ryokichi Higashionna.
The fair offers purple sweet potato chips, Okinawan soba (noodles), 2,700 packages of millet-jelly candies and herbal teas made from loquats, persimmons, mushrooms and roasted bitter melon.
Demonstrations and samplings both days serve up beni-imo-dango (Okinawan sweet potato donut) and sata andagi (Okinawan donut). Also, Alan Wong's Restaurant chefs present "Island Cuisine with Awamori" (Okinawan distilled spirit) at noon Saturday, and 12:30 p.m. Sunday. "Creative Cocktails with Awamori" is scheduled 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday.
Okinawan wares on sale at the fair include clothing, adan-leaf (lauhala) sandals, Ryukyu dolls, guitars and traditional shisha dog masks -- plus entertainers from Okinawa.
Bridges
What: Okinawan Fair
Star-Bulletin
