The Cultural Politics of Ryukyu Cuisine: China and Satsuma Influences in the Development of Food Culture

10.6641/PICCFC.91012.2011.12.03

Tomoko Tamari；Mike Featherstone

中華飲食文化學術研討會論文集

第12屆（2011 / 11 / 01）

43 - 74

英文

Okinawa prefecture, despite now being a Japanese province, has a long history as an independent kingdom, called Ryukyu. It has enjoyed a long relationship with China going back to 1372 with the establishment of the Chinese tributary system (Sappo) which continued for more than 400 years; the first Sappo envoy came to the Ryukyu in 1404 and continued until the coronation of the last king of Ryukyu, Sho Tai, in 1866. The Chinese envoys were called Sapposhi and the cuisine prepared for them was called Kansen cuisine. To welcome the several hundred Sapposhi (Chinese officials) who stayed each time for around half a year, Ryukyu people were obliged to make a great effort to prepare Kansen cuisine. Although initially the Sappo brought their own Chinese chefs, some Ryukyu people went to China to learn Chinese culinary skills and knowledge and they played an important role in cooking Kansen cuisine as well as the court cuisine. After 1609 when Ryukyu came under the control of Satsuma, Japanese/Satsuma cuisine also became influential through the need to entertain the new viceroy and retinue of officials. Ryukyu people also went to Satsuma to lean Satsuma/Japanese cuisine. The chefs who prepared Japanese dishes were called houchuu and go-houchuu (the ones who cooked for the king and royal family). Ryukyu, then, had to change many aspects of everyday life to adapt to Japanese customs while under the political control of Satsuma. At the same time, Chinese influences persisted. People in Kume village, who were descendants of Chinese immigrants (Kuninda), had become dominant bureaucrats in Ryukyu. They enjoyed playing the role of diplomats in relation with China and brought in Chinese culture, such as etiquette medicine, fen shui, poetry and cuisine. This paper focuses on the formation of Ryukyu cuisine by examining the shifting influence and conflicts in the relationships between Ryukyu China and Satsuma, and the way in which Ryukyu sought to manage cross-cultural flows under condition of marginality.