If you like fresh fish, fatty pork on irregular noodles, seaweed that pops in your mouth, kickin' moonshine, and fry-ups with lots of egg, bitter melon and whatever else is in season... you'll do just fine in Okinawa. Lord knows, I do.

As in other island communities (e.g. Hawaii) where scarce land and severe weather put pressure on the food supply, the arrival of cheap, storable, calories in the form of SPAM had a significant impact on Okinawan cuisine. Some guidebooks celebrate that. In itself, that should tell you a lot.