Okinawa Rafute

Rafute is the iconic braised pork belly representing Ryukyu cuisine, made by slowly simmering pork belly with skin in awamori, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Hours of simmering render away excess fat, creating meat so tender and silky it melts in your mouth and cuts easily with chopsticks. The skin is particularly prized for its rich collagen content and pairs beautifully with the sweet and savory braising liquid. In Naha's Ryukyu cuisine restaurants, rafute is often served as part of a course alongside goya champuru and jimaami tofu, making it the ultimate pairing with awamori.