Dried bonito is not only produced in Okinawa, but to the surprise of many, its consumption per capita is by far the highest in Japan.

Okinawans like to add dried bonito in soups and most other kinds of dishes, including Okinawa’s perennial Goya Champuru. It’s because Okinawans’ intake of salt is lower than in other prefectures, and that also could be one reason for people’s longevity here.

Sometimes Japanese from mainland are surprised that Okinawans actually eat dried bonito shavings together with foods they have been added to, while mainland Japanese enhance the taste of soups with them but then remove the flakes before eating.