Can’t travel? No problem. Okinawa Logistics Hub is bringing some of Japan’s best foods straight to your doorstep
Although most of us are still stuck in Singapore, waiting for travel restrictions to be lifted before venturing overseas, that does not mean we cannot indulge international produce or specialties. Fans of Japanese food, rejoice — Okinawa International Logistics Hub will be flying in a multitude of rare, fresh and seasonal produce, as well as ready-to-eat items from Japan’s various prefectures to Singapore via ANA Cargo.
As the southern gateway of Japan, Okinawa gives Okinawa International Logistics Hub good access to Asean countries. The hub is able to deliver specialities from Japan to Singapore inexpensively and efficiently due to its accessibility to Naha airport, thereby ensuring the optimum quality of its produce.
For those wanting to check out what goodies are available, the hub will be showcasing its items on Facebook Live via the Singapore Home Cooks page (www.facebook.com/singaporehomecooks). These special items will only be available for purchase during the live sessions that are held every Monday at 8pm until Nov 9. Each session will focus on produce from a different prefecture, after which the items will be listed on an e-commerce platform at a later date. Here are some of the products from the various prefectures that Options had the chance to try:
Kagoshima
The Annouimo Sweet Potato Caramels is now available for the first time in Singapore. Made from Annouimo sweet potatoes, this premium variant is known for its exceptionally sweet flavour profile. The sweet potatoes are grown specially and solely on a tiny island off Kagoshima Prefecture in Tanegashima, Japan.
Nagano
The Shinshu Apple Ball is finally available in Singapore for the first time after 40 years since its launch. This delicious sorbet is made with 100% Nagano-grown apples — Nagano Prefecture is Japan’s number one apple producer —and the apples are acclaimed for their quality, size and delicious flavour. This product is so popular that when the product was first sold live in Singapore, more than 1,000 units were sold in less than five minutes.
Okinawa
Okinawa is renowned as the largest producer of tiger prawns in Japan, and one of Japan’s finest prawns — Ginoza Tiger Prawns. Each prawn’s clear and translucent flesh signals its premium quality and freshness. Frozen instantly at –40°C when they are caught, the prawns can easily be served as sashimi after defrosting.
Fukui
The Golden Plum Beauty Jelly is a delicacy made of the golden ume grown specially on trees in Kono, Minamiechizen Town of Fukui Perfecture. This jelly is fabled to be made specially for the Emperor of Japan back in the day, as it is renowned for its sweet flesh and medicinal properties. The thick flesh of an entire plum is set within wobbly jelly, which is finished in a gorgeous golden colour.
Hiroshima
When Japan brings you lemons, eat them! The Hiroshima Lemon might be green in colour but it’s perfectly safe to eat with a bright flavour and mild acidity, thanks to the mineral-rich soil of the Seto Inland Sea where it is grown. The lemons are grown without any preservatives or fungicides, so even the rind is safe to eat.
Shizouka
Adorable, tasty and juicy are the best words to describe the petite “Happily Ever After” Tomatoes hailing from Shizuoka’s Marutaka Farm. Why adorable? Because some of the tomatoes have a smiley face carved onto them, while some have other shapes, such as hearts and stars. This special carving technique symbolises the farm’s commitment to delivering happiness to their consumers and it took them five years to perfect this skill. The tomatoes thrive in Hamamatsu City’s warm climate and are grown on the red soil of the Mikatahara plateau.
