Hija Jiru Okinawan Goat Soup

Quick answer

Total time: 215 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 5

About this dish

Hija jiru is a clear Okinawan soup that simmers goat meat, called hija locally, in water for about three hours and finishes it with fuchiba mugwort, grated ginger, and salt.

When refrigeration was scarce, slaughtering a goat meant distributing the meat through the community and sharing a large pot, and the soup became associated with restoring strength and marking celebrations. A quick hot-water rinse removes loose blood and debris from the meat before it enters fresh water. Foam and excess fat are skimmed repeatedly during the long gentle simmer so the broth stays clean rather than greasy. The washed mugwort leaves are cooked only briefly once the meat is tender enough to pull easily from the bone. Instead of heavily seasoning the whole pot, each bowl receives ginger and salt on the side, allowing every diner to adjust the strong goat aroma and salinity.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

bone-in goat meat800 gg

water2400 mlml

fuchiba mugwort1 bunchbunch

grated ginger20 gg

salt8 gg

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

5 steps

1

Heat

Cut 800g goat meat into pieces about 6cm and check for loose bone fragments.

Blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds, drain, and rinse away surface blood and debris with hot water.
2

Control

Place the blanched meat and 2.4L water in a clean deep pot over high heat.

At a full boil, skim off the foam and heavy surface fat, then reduce to low heat.
3

Control

Simmer gently with the lid ajar for 2.5 to 3 hours.

Skim foam and excess fat every 30 minutes and add hot water if the meat is exposed. Confirm the center exceeds 74°C and the meat pulls easily from the bone.
4

Heat

Pick the leaves from one bunch of fuchiba, gently rub them in cold water, rinse twice, and drain.

When the meat is tender, add the leaves to the pot and cook for only 1 minute.
5

Finish

Divide the meat and hot broth generously among four bowls.

Serve 20g grated ginger and 8g salt in small dishes so each diner can add them gradually to taste.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Made with 800g bone-in goat
Finish cue: When the meat is tender, add the leaves to the pot and cook for only 1 minute.
Substitution: Instead of heavily seasoning the whole pot, each bowl receives ginger and salt on the side, allowing every diner to adjust the strong goat aroma and salinity.
Storage and reheating: When refrigeration was scarce, slaughtering a goat meant distributing the meat through the community and sharing a large pot, and the soup became associated with restoring strength and marking celebrations.