Product Summary (Registration No.172)

Registration No.172 沖縄黒糖

Registered name (Transcription) : 沖縄黒糖（OKINAWA KOKUTOU）、OKINAWA KOKUTO
Reference information : Okinawa Brown Sugar

Category of product

Class 8 : Seasonings（Brown sugar）
Class 10 : Bread and Confectionery（Brown sugar）

Production Area

Okinawa Prefecture

Registered Group

Okinawa Prefecture Brown Sugar Cooperative Association

Characteristics

Containing components such as polyphenols, umami, and minerals, Okinawa Kokuto (Okinawa brown sugar) possesses a unique, deep flavor with a slight bitterness. With a history of about 400 years, it is widely established as an indispensable seasoning for Okinawan traditional dishes such as Rafute and traditional sweets such as Chinbin and Sata Andagi. It is also consumed daily as a tea-time snack, shaping the food culture of Okinawa.

Link with the Production Area

The manufacture of brown sugar began in 1623 using Okinawan sugarcane, based on sugar manufacturing methods brought back from Ming (China) by envoys of the Ryukyu Kingdom. Subsequently, brown sugar manufacturing developed as a vital industry supporting the finances of the Ryukyu Kingdom. The producers continue to use the traditional manufacturing method of pressing Okinawan sugarcane while fresh and boiling down the extracted juice as is.