SEE THE SEA’s “Handmade Beniimo Tacos” are gluten-free handmade tacos served at the cafe “SEE THE SEA” on Senaga Island’s Umikaji Terrace in Okinawa. Made with Okinawan purple sweet potato kneaded into the tortilla dough and freshly hand-pressed in-store every day, they were developed as the perfect companion to our signature “Special Taco Rice.” Wheat-free and 100% plant-based, they can be enjoyed by everyone with confidence.
It Started with a Real Conversation with a Customer
“So taco rice doesn’t actually have octopus in it?”
In Japanese, the word “tako” (タコ) means “octopus.” Since “taco rice” is pronounced “tako-raisu” (タコライス) in Japanese — exactly the same sound as the word for octopus — many visitors naturally assume the dish contains octopus. It’s a charming misunderstanding born from the Japanese language itself.
It sounds like a joke, but it’s actually a conversation that happens quite often. Among first-time visitors to Okinawa, more than a few genuinely believed this. And every time I explain the truth, my heart skips a beat – because hidden behind this misunderstanding is a fascinating piece of history.
“Tacos” originated in Mexico. When U.S. military bases were established in Okinawa, taco culture arrived via America and blended with local Okinawan home cooking to evolve into “taco rice” – a uniquely Okinawan creation. Today it’s one of the island’s most iconic soul foods, but its origin traces back to the taco.
So why not create a “taco” – the very root of our prized Special Taco Rice – as its perfect companion? And not just any taco, but the finest one anywhere. Just like with our taco rice development, it would be gluten-free, plant-based, and something we could proudly declare “the most delicious.” That challenge began right here.
Not “Efficiency” – The Coexistence of “Tradition” and “Texture”
We started by returning to the origins of the taco.
The tortilla, born in Mexico, was originally made from corn – naturally gluten-free. No wheat flour was used. In other words, the “original form” of the taco was already gluten-free. This was a major discovery for us.
However, in modern times, wheat flour is commonly added for texture and ease of handling. Soft-shell tortillas have that distinctive chewy, pliable quality – and recreating that texture without wheat turned out to be a surprisingly difficult challenge. Hard shells weren’t an option due to storage capacity constraints at our shop.
After testing dozens of formulations, we arrived at a special ingredient: Okinawa’s own “beniimo” – purple sweet potato.
The vivid reddish-purple dough isn’t just beautiful to look at. The natural chewiness and stickiness of beniimo perfectly recreated the exact texture we’d been searching for – all without wheat flour. Furthermore, beniimo is one of Okinawa’s most representative ingredients. We could create a gluten-free tortilla while simultaneously expressing the essence of Okinawa – it was the perfect answer.
When the vibrant purple dough is placed on the table, many customers can’t help but exclaim. Those gasps of “How beautiful!” became the first reward for our store manager who worked so hard on the development.
Why We Deliberately Call Them “Handmade”
Today, many restaurants use store-bought tortillas. It reduces costs and ensures consistent quality. From a business perspective, it’s the rational choice.
But we chose not to take that path.
The reason is simple. Our beniimo tortillas follow a proprietary recipe designed to maintain our unique blend and strict gluten-free standards – something an outside factory simply cannot replicate. The moment we compromise, this taco becomes a different dish entirely.
That’s why we carefully press and cook each one, every single day, right here in our kitchen.
We didn’t want to use the word “handmade” lightly. But for us, it isn’t just a marketing phrase. It’s a declaration of our commitment – choosing not to take the easy path of efficiency, but to protect our customers’ peace of mind and the quality of every bite.
Gluten-free customers can enjoy “real tacos” without worrying about allergies. Guests can feel the power of Okinawan ingredients through both appearance and flavor. And when someone takes that first bite, they can’t help but smile and say, “Beautiful, and delicious.”
For that moment, we’re in the kitchen today, pressing tortillas once again.
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