Local Guide
Souvenirs of Okinawa that you will want to buy for yourself. 8 Okinawan sweets you want to tell everyone about

When you think of souvenirs from your trip to Okinawa, there are probably several sweets that come to mind. Okinawa has a wide variety of sweets, including traditional sweets, sweets that the local people are familiar with, and popular products known only to those in the know. Here are 8 recommended confections that you will be happy to receive as souvenirs and want to buy for yourself.

Historic sweets that have been handed down since the Ryukyu Dynasty era

A traditional handmade taste you must try at least once if you visit Okinawa
A traditional handmade taste you must try at least once if you visit Okinawa

This is a historic confectionery store that is in the family of Arakaki Pechin Shukki, who was a knife maker in the Ryukyu Dynasty. All products are handmade in keeping with the teachings of Kami Arakaki, whose name also appears in the store's name, "Never change the taste of the old days. Before the burning of Shuri Castle, they were served as tea sweets in Sasunoma.
In addition to the standard chinsuko, which is made with domestic ingredients, the "hanaboru" is a must-try. The ingredients are only flour, sugar, and egg yolks, and the dough is made without water. The shape, which is said to resemble a wisteria flower, is not made by molding, but by cutting into the dough as it is rolled by hand. The dough is not stamped out, but rather cut into the dough by hand.

Local Guide Comment
A "Candy Making Experience (1,100 yen)" is also available with advance reservation. The experience takes about one hour, including baking time. The finished sweets can be eaten on the spot or packed in a box to take home.

Product Name・Price】Chinsuko (8 bags, 16 pieces) 540 yen, Hana Boru (5 bags) 540 yen
Best-before dates] Chinsuko: 60 days from the date of manufacture, Hana-boru: 30 days from the date of manufacture.
Shops】Aragaki Kami confectionery store, Shuri Castle store, Okinawa Bizami Okinawa Naha Airport store, Palette Kumoji, online store, etc.

Niigaki Kami Confectionery Shop
  • address (e.g. of house) 1-3-2 Akahira-cho, Shuri, Naha City, Okinawa MAP
  • Direction Approximately 25 minutes by car from Naha Airport
  • Business hours 9:00-17:00
  • Closed Sunday
  • TEL 098-886-3081
  • Parking Free of charge

A classic Okinawa souvenir you will be glad to receive

The original red sweet potato tart has been loved by residents and tourists for more than 35 years since its launch in 1986.
The original red sweet potato tart has been loved by residents and tourists for more than 35 years since its launch in 1986.

Gokashi-Goden's "Original" Beniimo Tart, which has established itself as a standard Okinawa souvenir. The tart is an exquisite combination of a paste made from 100% Okinawan red potatoes and tart dough, and features a beautiful spiral pattern. The tart is made without using any preservatives or coloring to preserve the original taste of red potatoes, and its gentle sweetness spreads in the mouth.
The boxed products are available in packs of 3, 6, 10, and 15 pieces, so you can purchase as many as you need. At the Gokashi-Goden Yomitan Main Store, visitors can tour the factory line and enjoy freshly made red-imo tarts at the café. The Onna branch also offers a "Beniimo Tart Handmade Experience" (2,200 yen).

Local Guide Comment
In addition to Gokashi-Goden, there are other confectionery makers that sell red potato tarts, so it is recommended that you buy some and compare them!

Product name and price: BENIIMO TART (3 pieces) 378 yen, (6 pieces) 756 yen, (10 pieces) 1,242 yen, (15 pieces) 1,836 yen
Shelf life: 30 days from the date of manufacture
Sold at: Gokashi-Goden stores, souvenir stores, supermarkets in Okinawa, etc.

Gokashi-Goten Yomitan Main Store
  • address (e.g. of house) 657-1 Uza, Yomitan-mura, Nakagami-gun, Okinawa MAP
  • Direction Approx. 55 min. by car from Naha Airport
  • Business hours 9:00-18:00
  • Closed No holidays
  • TEL 098-958-7333
  • Parking Free of charge

Rice crackers with a simple taste that will make anyone feel nostalgic

A taste that reminds you of the nostalgia of eating at a candy store as a child
A taste that reminds you of the nostalgia of eating at a candy store as a child

In Okinawa, there is a word "kame-kame-attack," which means being served a lot of food with the words "kame (eat). Kamesen, which also has this meaning, has been a long-selling product in Okinawa for more than 45 years since its launch in 1976. It is made by the traditional method of frying flour-based dough, and is available in two sizes: a large kamesen that looks like a turtle's shell and a smaller kogame that is easier to eat.
The kamesen has a simple salt flavor that you will never get tired of. It is blended with strong-flavored Okinawan salt and is so delicious that you can't stop eating it. Kogame comes in three flavors: salt, soy sauce, and plum, with the plum flavor being the best-selling. The ume flavor is the best-selling. You will want to eat it as a salt supplement after sweating it out in the heat of Okinawa.

Local Guide Comment
You can easily buy them at supermarkets in the prefecture and they are very reasonably priced. Everyone loves the taste, so they will come in handy as souvenirs for many people.

Product name and price: Kamesen (151 yen), Shio Kogame (138 yen), Ajikame (soy sauce) (138 yen), Ume Kogame (138 yen)
Shelf life: 90 days from the date of manufacture.
Convenience stores, supermarkets, etc.

Tamaki Confectionery
  • address (e.g. of house) 651 Kaneshiro, Nanpuhara-cho, Shimajiri-gun, Okinawa MAP
  • Direction 20 min. by car from Naha Airport
  • Business hours 9:00-17:00
  • Closed Saturday, Sunday, Holidays
  • TEL 098-889-1335
  • Memo Basically, no direct sales, only inquiries.

Hi-Chew, a high quality mango fruit that can be easily tasted

The rich sweetness and aroma of mango fills your mouth
The rich sweetness and aroma of mango fills your mouth

The Okinawa-specific Hi-Chew is an easy way to enjoy Okinawa's unique fruits. There are pineapple, shikwasa, and mango flavors, with the mango flavor being the most recommended. The mango flavor is recommended among the three. The mango, which has a strong image as a high-end fruit, can be easily enjoyed with Haitu.
Mango puree made from mangoes grown in Okinawa is used in the mango flavor, giving it a rich sweetness and a refreshing aroma. Each box contains five Hi-Chews, making it a perfect souvenir for dispersal. It is also easily available at souvenir stores and airport kiosks in the prefecture.

Local Guide Comment
Even if you have more luggage, Hi-Chews are easy to carry because they are not bulky and do not easily get crushed. Everyone loves this flavor, from children to adults.

Product name and price: Hi-Chew Mango flavor, 648 yen.
Shelf life: 360 days
Souvenir stores, airport kiosks, etc.

Morinaga Seika Co.

Red sweet potato with a gentle sweetness that spreads in your mouth

The moment you put it in your mouth, the softness of the tart will melt in your mouth. You can taste the original deliciousness of the red sweet potato.
The moment you put it in your mouth, the softness of the tart will melt in your mouth. You can taste the original deliciousness of the red sweet potato.

Beni Potato" is sold at Gokashi Goten, which is well known for its original Beni Imo Tart. It is a sweet potato made from red potatoes with a moist and soft texture. It is made from brightly colored domestically grown red potatoes, and the simple taste of the original ingredients is preserved.
In addition, 100% natural Canadian maple syrup, made exclusively from maple sap, is used. The maple syrup, concentrated by slowly boiling down the nutritious sap, blends with the gentle sweetness of the red potatoes, creating a rich aroma that spreads in your mouth. The tart is firm and satisfying, and allows you to taste the true flavor of the red potatoes. If you like Beni Potato Tart, please try Beni Potato.

Local Guide Comment
Since they are not sold in supermarkets, you should look for them at Gokashi-Goden's directly-managed stores; they are also sold by the piece, so it is recommended to buy a box of them after tasting them.

Product name and price: Beni Potato (single item) 194 yen, (6 pieces) 1,252 yen.
Shelf life: 14 days from the date of manufacture.
Available at Gokashi-Goten stores and other stores.

Gokashi-Goten Yomitan Main Store
  • address (e.g. of house) 657-1 Uza, Yomitan-mura, Nakagami-gun, Okinawa MAP
  • Direction Approx. 55 min. by car from Naha Airport
  • Business hours 9:00-18:00
  • Closed No holidays
  • TEL 098-958-7333
  • Parking Free of charge

Brown sugar canele using Okinawan ingredients

The crispy outside and the sticky inside are delicious, so please enjoy them as soon as possible after purchase.
The crispy outside and the sticky inside are delicious, so please enjoy them as soon as possible after purchase.

Canelé is a French baked cake. The brown sugar canele Houkihoshi is a canele specialty store that uses brown sugar from Tarama Island to create canele with a taste that Japanese people like. They use only local ingredients and do not use preservatives or synthetic colors.
Cannelles have a strong rum flavor and are sweetened with lots of sugar, but Broomstick's canele are made with less alcohol so that even small children can easily eat them. However, Broomstick canele are made with less alcohol so that even small children can easily eat them, and only half the amount of sugar is used as in most canele, making them half the calories and light enough to eat. The canulés are delivered to each store three times a day, freshly baked to ensure that they are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.

Local Guide Comment
In addition to freshly baked canele, frozen canele are also sold, with a shelf life of two weeks to one month. They can be warmed in a toaster oven to enjoy the freshly baked flavor.

Product name and price: (4 pieces) 740 yen, (6 pieces) 1,110 yen, (10 pieces) 1,850 yen
Shelf life] The day after the date of manufacture
Brown Sugar Kanule Houkihoshi stores and online store.

Brown Sugar Kanule Houkihoshi Minatogawa Honten
  • address (e.g. of house) 2-16-2 Minatogawa, Urasoe City, Okinawa MAP
  • Direction Approximately 25 minutes by car from Naha Airport
  • Direction Take Ryukyu Bus No. 120 from Naha Airport, get off at "Daini Shiroma" and walk about 9 minutes.
  • Business hours 11:30-17:30
  • Closed No holidays
  • TEL 098-975-7825
  • Parking Free of charge

Exquisite sablefish from a fruit tart specialty store

There are three flavors: plain, chocolate, and maple.
There are three flavors: plain, chocolate, and maple.

OHA-Corte is a fruit tart specialty store in Okinawa. The "Shiawase Hakobutori Sable" is a tart dough made into a sable. The sablet is carefully baked in the shape of a blue bird, the motif of OHA-Corte, and has a light and crispy texture. The plain tart dough, baked as it is, has an irresistible buttery aroma that spreads softly in the mouth. The chocolat, made with rich cocoa powder from Italy, has a bitter taste with a moderate sweetness, and the maple, made with maple sugar from Canada, has a rich maple flavor.
The design of the box containing the sable is also very cute and tickles a girl's fancy. They also make a great special gift.

Local Guide Comment
Tarts using seasonal fruits are also recommended. There is also a store at Naha Airport, so if you have time to spare, please take a look.

Happiness Hakobutori Sable (6 pieces) 1,082 yen, (12 pieces) 2,164 yen, (18 pieces) 3,246 yen
Shelf life] Approximately 60 days from the date of manufacture.
Available at OHA-Corte stores, online store, etc.

Ohakorte Minatogawa Honten
  • address (e.g. of house) 2-17-1 #18 Minatogawa, Urasoe City, Okinawa MAP
  • Direction Approximately 25 minutes by car from Naha Airport
  • Direction Take Ryukyu Bus No. 120 from Naha Airport, get off at "Daini Shiroma" and walk about 9 minutes.
  • Business hours 11:30-19:00
  • Closed Tuesdays
  • TEL 098-875-2129
  • Parking Free of charge

Once you try it, you'll never forget the delicious lemon andagi

The texture is surprisingly crispy even after a long time. This popular product is only sold a few times a month.
The texture is surprisingly crispy even after a long time. This popular product is only sold a few times a month.

Happy More Market, located in Ginowan City, is a direct vegetable market where many agricultural products are sold. They also sell original smoothies to take advantage of out-of-spec vegetables and fruits that farmers are having trouble selling. The smoothies contain lemons, and only the pulp was used, but when they saw a large amount of lemon peels being discarded, they wondered if they could make effective use of them. Lemon Andagie" was born out of this idea.
The bitter white part of the lemon peel is removed and only the yellow part is crushed and kneaded into the dough of the sata andagi. The lemon peels are always made with the pursuit of deliciousness in mind, such as the size of the lemon peels and the timing of kneading them into the dough after they are peeled so that the fresh lemon aroma is released. Since it takes a lot of time and effort to make, it is only sold a few times a month. Please check the sales dates in advance before visiting.

Local Guide Comment
Even Okinawans who have eaten various types of sataa andagi rave about its delicious taste! Even Okinawans who have tasted various types of sataa andagi rave about its taste. Fresh rice oil is used to give it a crispy texture. It is sold in vacuum-packed packages that will last for a long time at the online store.

Yoko-san's Lemon Andagie (6 pieces) 500 yen, (12 pieces) 800 yen
Shelf life: 7 days after production.
Happy More Market tropical store, online store

Happy More Market Tropical Store
  • address (e.g. of house) 7-1350-81 Oyama, Ginowan City, Okinawa MAP
  • Direction Approx. 30 min. from Naha Airport by Car
  • Direction Take Ryukyu Bus #120 from Naha Airport, get off at Daiichi Daisen and walk about 15 minutes.
  • Business hours 10:00-18:00
  • Closed Year-end and New Year's holidays
  • TEL 098-988-9785
  • Parking Free of charge
The information in this article is current as of the date of the update. Please check before visiting as they are subject to change.