琉球料理 ryuukyuu ryouri means Ryukyuan cuisine.
The other day, I was idling away some time at the university library, when I came upon the “Okinawa Section.” Most books were in Japanese, but one in English caught my eye. It was simply titled, “Ryukyuan Cuisine.” So out of curiosity I flipped it open, and read about some of the more traditional dishes (some pictures below). While there were no actual recipes, there were several descriptions of the foods and the types of local ingredients– it was really quite informative. This book was published in the 90s by the Okinawa Tourism and Cultural Promotion organization. I would like to find a copy for myself, but it has turned out difficult to find. It further inspired me to check out the local bookstore, and peruse some magazines and books on Ryukyuan cuisine (in Japanese, so I am a bit slower to read). Reading through these books really reminded me how Ryukyuan cuisine is quite different than traditional Japanese cuisine; it is definitely influenced quite a bit from Chinese cuisine, but still very unique.
I made a quick guide to Okinawa dishes here and a guide to some traditional sweets here and here.
Here is some info on Okinawa produce here.
