Meat ── Pork cuts
Mimiga
pig ear — an Okinawan specialty eaten shredded fine
The ear, familiar as an Okinawan local specialty. Its cartilage gives a distinctive crisp texture, typically shredded and dressed with vinegar, after the hair is singed off and it is boiled to prepare.
Lineage
What it's made of
The ear, prized for its crisp, cartilage-laden texture. It carries almost no lean meat, just thin skin and cartilage layered one on top of another. It's a familiar Okinawan local specialty. Cartilage runs thicker near the base than at the tip, so the firmness of the bite shifts depending on where a piece is cut from. Sliced thinner, the layered structure of skin and cartilage shows up more clearly in cross-section.
How it's made
The hair is singed off carefully before it's boiled, a step that leaves a strong odor behind if skipped. Once boiled, it's typically shredded thin and dressed with vinegar or other seasonings — the thinner the slice, the more the cartilage's crunch stands out. Cutting across the grain into fine strips is said to balance an easy bite against that crunch. It's dressed in a fair range of ways too, from sesame oil to peanut sauce, whenever more fragrance is wanted.
Why it took this shape
Built from layers of cartilage and collagen, it belongs to the same lineage of "eating the skin and cartilage" as pig's trotters. Okinawa carries a saying that every part of the pig is eaten but its cry, and mimiga stands as something of a symbol of that no-waste food culture. Its mild flavor also makes it a welcome palate break after a run of stronger-tasting offal. It's a standard companion to Okinawan awamori as well, a fixture of the drinking table.
Before you go
- What to know if you have dietary restrictionsHow allergen labeling works, where fish-based dashi, pork, and alcohol turn up, and phrases for checking with staff.
- At yakiniku, shabu-shabu, and hot potGrilling your own meat at yakiniku, swishing thin slices at shabu-shabu, and sharing from the pot — the customs behind each.
Dishes in the same style
- DaichoThe large intestine, said to be thicker and chewier than the small intestine. Prepared in various ways — simmered with vegetables and miso, or dressed with vinegar — typically after trimming away excess fat.
- HatsuThe heart, low in fat with a mild flavor. Thorough draining of blood is said to be needed before cooking, and it suits teppan-grilling or simmering, being somewhat smaller than beef heart and quick to cook through.
Ingredients and dishes from this land
Related lineage
- TonsokuThe trotters, mostly skin and cartilage. Long simmering turns the collagen soft and gelatinous; usually sold already boiled, and known in Okinawa as "tebichi" in local cooking.
- Nakami JiruPork large and small intestine and stomach are scrubbed with tofu lees or flour and boiled down again and again to strip away fat and any trace of gaminess, then finished as a clear soup in bonito-and-pork broth. Served at celebrations and memorial meals, its clean flavor belies its offal base.