Sea grapes

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seasonal peak

All year round

In the Miyako Islands of Okinawa Prefecture, a type of seaweed known as sea grapes has long been a popular food. It is called sea grapes because its clusters resemble bunches of grapes. Since the development of land-based cultivation techniques in 1989, it has been farmed throughout Okinawa Prefecture and is now widely distributed both within and outside the prefecture. Its translucent, vibrant green beads and briny aroma, combined with the distinctive pop when bitten into, have made it popular. Also referred to as “green caviar” or “jewels of the sea,” sea grapes are rich in minerals as well as dietary fiber that is gentle on the stomach. Fresh sea grapes are most commonly eaten raw as a salad-like dish, but in colder seasons it is also used in hot-pot-style dishes similar to shabu-shabu, where dipping it briefly in warm broth allows diners to enjoy the change in its color.

See restaurants where you can eat this ingredient

Sea grapes

Restaurants using this ingredient

Umibudō no Omise Puchipuchi

Tsukiji Otokomae-zushi Kokusai-dōri Yataimura-ten

Ebessan

Shima Tōfu Haru Obā Shokudō

Restaurants where you can buy this ingredient

JA Farmers Market Nishihara Untama Ichiba

Uru Marche

Okinawa-shi Gyogyō Kyōdō Kumiai Payao Chokubaiten

Chūbu Farmers Market Chanpurū Ichiba