A Variety of Foods Consumed in Kikaijima, an Island near Amamioshima, in 1930s

We analyzed the consumed foods in an era of early Showa (1936-1937), based on a "diary of farmer's diet of Kikaijima", an island near Amamioshima, written by Kaichiro Koshirae for one year. For analysis a computer with BASIC language was used. One different food in a diet was counted one food. There were 888 diets, in which 154 foods were described. The average number of foods described in a diet was 4.3 2.0, and the most number of foods consumed in a diet were 20. Miso was most consumed with a frequency of 588, consisting of 66.5% of all the diets, to which rice, sweet potatoes, rice porridge, etc. followed. Also a cycad-starch gluel was consumed frequently. The intake frequency of the individual fishes and vegetables was low. The foods with only one frequency were 47. When foods were classified into 18 groups according to the standard tables of food composition in Japan, cereals had 797 frequencies, and the followings were pulses (736), potatoes and starches (385), seasonings and spices (326), vegetables (243), fishes (243), and meats (190). Fruits had only one frequency, and milks, none. A variety of vegetables, fishes, sweets, meats and cereals were counted 33, 31, and 13, respectively. Nuts and seeds, fungi, eggs, and fats and oils were few in its varieties. According to the ABC analysis of the foods, 9foods occupied 50% of all the frequencies, and 22 foods, 75%. The consumed foods were not so many compared to those of present days, reflecting the food habit at that time.