Protected local food
Nakagusuku Shima Ninjin
中城島にんじん
Okinawa's island carrot: long, thin like burdock root and bright yellow. Nakagusuku village grows more of it than anywhere else in Okinawa.
Key facts
- Registered as a protected name
- 27 March 2024
- Region
- Kyushu & Okinawa
- Official name in Japanese
- 中城島にんじん
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 沖縄県中頭郡中城村
A yellow carrot
Shima ninjin, island carrot, is long and slender like burdock and bright yellow instead of orange. It has long been part of Okinawan cooking, both everyday dishes and kusuimun, food eaten for health.
Okinawa's top grower
Nakagusuku village in central Okinawa grows more shima ninjin than anywhere else in the prefecture. Farmers have saved their own seed since before the war, keeping the native strain alive. The carrot needs warmth, above 15°C, and plenty of water, and the village has a mild climate and rich groundwater.
A carrot with its own day
The village made December 12 Nakagusuku Shima Ninjin Day to encourage people to eat it and to pass the crop on to the next generation.
Good to know
- Nakagusuku Castle ruins, part of a World Heritage Site, sit on a ridge in the village with views of both coasts.
- Try shima ninjin in shirishiri, an Okinawan stir-fry of grated carrot and egg, or in pork soups.
Questions travellers ask
When is it in season?
Winter, roughly December to March.
How does it taste?
Sweeter and more earthy than an ordinary carrot, with a strong aroma.
Where it comes from
More protected foods from the same area
Crafts from the same area
Heritage stories from the same area
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.