タコライス (Taco Rice)

How often have those of us who dwell in Chapel Hill/Carrboro been filled with the desire to dine out, but hit our heads against that eternal question: Mexican or Japanese? Too many times, my friends, too many. It was a joyous day indeed when I arrived in my new home and discovered that God blessed this Earth with one and one place only where Human Beans do not have to suffer the after-effects of such agonizing decision making: 沖縄 (Okinawa).

One of the most popular foods in Okinawa is Taco Rice (hereafter to be refered to as TR). I swell with pride when I say that TR is an original culinary development of Okinawa. TR is not complicated: it's essentially the basic taco fillings devoid of taco shell and instead sprinkled atop a bowl of Japanese white sticky-rice.
If "why?" is your next question, then here is the answer:

After WWII, a large number of Okinawans emigrated, mostly to South America and Hawaii. Many second generation South American Okinawans have since returned, making the 47th prefecture a multi-culti place indeed compared to the rest of Japan. TR is the result of this Latin American influence. It makes perfect sense! The taco shell was an ever-present danger for me and my eating habits in America... will it crack when I bite? Will succulent beef and tomato juice pour onto my face and run down to splotch my white shirt when aforementioned crack occurs? etc, etc. Wary of the shell, I always opted for a soft tortilla menu item instead, but felt a twinge of sorrow that my cowardice kept me from the taco shell. The Okinawans may have thought the same. Who knows? Whatever happened, they clearly saw that the taco shell, though perhaps handy in its Day, had long overstayed its welcome. Let us, they cried, transform this into a chopstick-capable meal! And so they did.

TR is served as a general menu item at practically every restaurant. You can buy Taco Rice instant mix packages at every grocery store. In fact, there is no one in my new world who does not love Taco Rice. And Taco Rice loves them riiiiiiiiight back.

Here is a picture of a Taco restaurant on Kokusaidori (main shopping street in Naha). It's a funny picture because YA is the suffix meaning "shop" in Japanese, and its been blended together with the Spanish TACO.



This delicacy is served in various shapes and sizes. For example, they sell Taco Rice Onigiri. Onagiri are rice balls or triangles, usually wrapped in seaweed, with a bit of filling inside. Now, one of the things that pleases me most (probably because it's the most perfect culmination of cultural blending that I could ever imagine) in Okinawa is one particular form of TR that you can buy at コンピニ (convenience stores), which I call Burrushi (burrito + sushi). It's TR formed into SUSHI!!!! That means the taco filling is rolled in rice and then seaweed, but GET THIS, they make it big bad ol' burrito sized. Soooooo sorry I don't have a picture yet. But soooooo gu-reatto!

Douzo, have some Taco Rice!!!