Can Taco Rice Actually Be a Japanese Dish?

While the name may sound like a Tex-Mex dish, taco rice is a specialty of the Okinawa region of Japan. As the name might imply, the dish consists of spicy taco meat covering a pile of rice, with cheese, tomatoes and lettuce on top. The meat, while seasoned with chili powder and cumin, also includes soy sauce and sake, giving it a sweeter, milder flavor than the taco meat in the US. So how did this Tex-Mex Japanese hybrid become one of the most well known dishes from the southernmost part of Japan? Okinawa, a tropical island paradise, is home to 40,000 US military personnel based in Japan. With dozens of Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine installations occupying 18% of the main island, Okinawa is a melding pot of US, Japanese and native Okinawan people. Likewise, the food reflects the diversity, and while the American presence is relatively recent, its already found its way into the culinary heritage of the area with hybrid dishes like this taco rice. While it may be a far cry from the low-sodium, low-fat diet of the indigenous Okinawan people, its a simple filling meal that tells the story of the ever-evolving taste of food.

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Marc Matsumoto is a culinary consultant and recipe repairman who shares his passion for good food through his website norecipes.com. For Marc, food is a life long journey of exploration, discovery and experimentation and he shares his escapades through his blog in the hopes that he inspires others to find their own culinary adventures. Marcs been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today, and has made multiple appearances on NPR and the Food Network.