[Anime Culture Monday] Anime Recipe: Goya Champuru from Imouto Sae Ireba Ii (A Sister's All You Need)

8:00 AM January 1, 2018

Hey everyone and welcome to another edition of Anime Recipes! If this is your first time, then welcome! In this series from Honey’s Anime, we break down the mouthwatering food that anime presents us with as often as we can to show that you can eat just like your favorite anime characters do! Fall, alone, has over 60 shows airing and with more than just Shokugeki no Souma airing; there are plenty to choose from! For the entry today, we are focusing on an anime where a character wants to sink her teeth into the main character, but he is not about to let that happen while they are in the south of Japan, or ever for that matter. Let’s go!

Goya Chanpuru from Imouto Sae Ireba Ii (A Sister’s All You Need)

Imouto Sae Ireba Ii has already been featured in our anime recipes series, but just in case you missed it, the series focuses on Itsuki who is a light novel author… and he also happens to only write novels about little sisters to the point that he fetishsizes them to the max. If only he had one of his own. Surrounded by an author who is on top of things, another who is a pervert, a well-to-do college student, and his little brother Chihiro, they spend their days getting into all kinds of trouble while avoiding deadlines and Itsuki’s editor as best as they can.

Goya Chanpuru actually hails from the region of Okinawa which sits to the south of Japan. While technically part of Japan, Okinawa was acquired in a brutal takeover centuries ago, but the way they speak, act, and think is often very different from mainland Japan. Chanpuru is the local stir fry dish. Now that Japan has gotten over its case of amnesia when it comes to anything Okinawa, it has recently come back in vogue and you can find eateries all over the place. Chanpuru often has some sort of meat, egg, tofu, and veggies in it. A lot of people praise it for its unique taste that comes in the form of a common ingredient, goya, or bitter melon. While yes, it is bitter, it gives a unique flavor and taste to the dish. Chanpuru, in Okinawan dialect, actually means “something mixed” which is how we arrived at the stir-fry image. Today, we are going to explore this delicious dish.

What You Will Need:

goya (bitter melon)

pork belly

200g

firm tofu

1 block

egg

liquid katsuobushi

2 tablespoons

katsuobushi flakes (dried bonito flakes)

1 tablespoon

Water for the egg and some milk.

Optional Notes:

Pork is the main dish here. Another common two veggies that appear in Goya Chanpuru are diced carrots and bean sprouts. If you do add these two in, beware of the water that they will release and be sure to add a little more of the liquid katsuobushi in. If you don’t do pork, then Spam is another option that you have. If you do not want to do that, then you can always add more tofu! Either way, this is a versatile dish that you can make work for you and your tastes!

How to Cook It:

1
The first action needed is you need to cut the goya into half and then into semi-circle pieces. If you really are bad with bitter things, then place the sliced goya in water for about 10 minutes to draw out some of the bitterness.
2
Next, slice up the pork if it is not already sliced and cut the tofu into slightly smaller than bite sized pieces.
3
Finally, crack your egg and add a little water and milk to it and beat it.
4
Heat up olive oil or sesame oil in a frying pan.
5
Add in just the tofu and begin to cook it until it starts to turn brown. This may take a bit.
6
Once that is done, add in the pork and cook it until it is almost all the way done. About 90% is good.
7
Now, add in your sliced goya. Be sure to drain the water if you soaked it in water. Do not add it into the frying pan!
8
Stir fry the goya for just a few moments to make sure that it warms up, but also take care not to overcook it or it will harden. This is the trick to having a good texture.
9
Once you feel as if it is at a good point, add in the liquid katsuobushi and stir quickly.
10
Now, take the egg which is sitting in a little water and milk, beat, and add it into the frying pan stirring quickly.
11
Once the egg has cooked, you are good to go!

(Note: Please clean up after yourself once you are done. You can get sick if you do not wash up properly. )

Yum!

Final Thoughts

Imouto Sae Ireba Ii is somehow still on air. We love every single minute of it, but we would love to hear what you think. Clearly Itsuki loved the Goya Chanpuru he got and we are sure that if you make this, you will be on the fast track to loving Okinawa food. Get to know about this fantastic culture! Have you ever tried Okinawan cuisine before? If so, let us know! Also, be sure to let us know in the comments below and if you are interested in seeing a dish from an anime series broken down. For now, we will be glued to our screens with the delectable dishes of Imouto Sae Ireba Ii. Until next time!

Editor/Translator

Author: Nagareboshi

American by birth; international by choice. I am trying to bring attention to one of my favorite causes; me. I translate by day and write by night. Aspiring polyglot. My dream would be to be the personal translator for Amuro Namie. Other than that, my hobbies include languages, weightlifting, sleeping, karaoke, GOOD coffee and music. When I’m not doing any of the above, I am most likely laughing hysterically at Willam Belli videos or EV farming. I ain’t gunna Rupologize for it neither. Waifu are Shirai Kuroko & Euaerin.

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