Nagasaki Champon is famous throughout the country. Champon is a little different from ramen, but it is full of ingredients and is filling, and is loved by people of all ages, from children to the elderly.

Let's explore the characteristics and history of Nagasaki Champon.

Characteristics of Nagasaki Champon

Nagasaki Champon is characterized by its generous servings of ingredients, thick, satisfying noodles, and milky soup. It comes in a variety of flavors, including a rich pork bone-based flavor, a light chicken bone-based flavor, and a mix of pork bone and chicken bone flavors.

The noodles are characterized by their chewy, thick noodles. When making regular Chinese noodles, the main ingredient is potassium carbonate, which is used as the kansui water.

However, Nagasaki Champon uses sugar lye, which is mainly composed of sodium carbonate. The use of sugar lye gives it a unique flavor and chewy texture. Kneading with sugar lye water is unique to Nagasaki, and makes use of the food culture of the Fujian region.

Also, when you go to a restaurant that serves champon, there are usually a few condiments on the table. These are condiments that go well with noodle dishes, such as pepper and vinegar, but in Nagasaki, some people eat champon by pouring sauce over the vegetables. It's fun to enjoy the change in flavor as you eat it.

With its chewy noodles and the concentrated flavors of the various ingredients, champon is absolutely delicious.

The History of Nagasaki Champon

The creator of Nagasaki Champon was Chin Pingshun, the founder of the Chinese restaurant Shikairo, which was founded in 1899. Nagasaki Champon was born when he wanted to create something nutritious for the Chinese students who were studying in Japan.

Nagasaki Champon has its roots in the Fujian dish Tang Rou Si Noodles. Tang Rou Si Noodles is a noodle dish with a light soup containing noodles, pork, shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, green onions, etc. Nagasaki Champon is a Japanese adaptation of Tang Rou Si Noodles. It is made with a lot of ingredients to add volume, a thick soup, and unique chewy noodles.

Nowadays, thanks to the development of preservation techniques such as canning and freezing, it is not difficult to get food in any season, but back then, it was very difficult. Therefore, they used seafood caught in the waters off Nagasaki, kamaboko (fish cake), chikuwa (fish paste), squid, small oysters, small shrimp, bean sprouts, cabbage, etc.

As it uses seasonal ingredients, it is said that you can feel the four seasons with just one bowl of champon. It is also said to be a local dish that could only have been created in Nagasaki, as it combines Japanese and Chinese cuisine and uses produce from the mountains and seas of Nagasaki.

How to make Nagasaki Champon

Here is how Shikairo, the restaurant that first created Nagasaki Champon, makes it. First, heat the iron pan until it smokes, then fry the meat and ingredients in oil and stir well over high heat to bring out the flavor. The soup is made from 2-3 whole chickens and pork and chicken bones that have been simmered for 3-4 hours. This method of making the soup and the temperature control are the secrets to Nagasaki Champon.

What makes it different from other noodle dishes is that it can be cooked in a single wok, as the noodles are simmered in soup. The unique flavor comes from the use of unique noodles made from wheat flour and lye. The use of sugar lye also helps prevent spoilage.

The origin of Nagasaki Champon

Chanpon was originally called Shina Udon. However, at some point the name became established as champon. There are various theories about the origin of Nagasaki Champon.

One of them is a dialect of Hokkien, called "chi fan" (sha pong or sep pong in Hokkien), which means to eat rice.

It is said that the people of Nagasaki who heard the Chinese exchange student say "Have you eaten rice?" mistook "chifan" for "champon." This is a convincing theory, considering that Chin Pingshun was from Fujian Province.

There is also a theory that it is a corrupted version of the Portuguese "champon" (to mix or blend). Portugal was a country that had access to Nagasaki during the period of national isolation, so this is a strong possibility.

There is also a theory that it is a coined word. It is said that the word "champon" was created by combining the "chan" from the Chinese gong and the "pon" from the Japanese drum. It is a fitting name for champon, born from two food cultures.

Two World Heritage Sites you should visit when you come to Nagasaki

Nagasaki Prefecture is located in the northwest of Kyushu, the westernmost part of the Japanese mainland. Surrounded by the sea on three sides, it is attractive for its rich nature and beautiful scenery. It boasts the largest number of islands in Japan, including the Goto Islands, Iki Island, and Tsushima Island.

Nagasaki Prefecture is home to two World Heritage Sites: "Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining" and "Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region." Why not take this opportunity to visit these World Heritage Sites?

By the way, "Glover Garden (former Glover House)" of "Meiji Industrial Revolution Heritage Sites" and "Oura Cathedral" of "Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region" are next to each other. Their addresses are Minamiyamate-cho, Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture. It's a luxury to be able to visit two World Heritage Sites in one go.

How to get to Nagasaki

There are various ways to access Nagasaki Prefecture, including by plane and JR. If you fly, you'll arrive in Nagasaki in no time. It takes about 2 hours from Haneda Airport, and about 1 hour and 30 minutes from Itami Airport, Chubu Centrair International Airport, and Naha Airport. You can get a cheap flight by taking advantage of early bird and round-trip discounts.

We also recommend taking a leisurely drive to Nagasaki.

Location of Nagasaki Prefecture

summary

Nagasaki Champon, a delicious and nutritious dish that can be made in a single wok, has become a common home-cooked dish. Nagasaki Champon is now served at a variety of restaurants and can be found in other prefectures as well. However, if you have never tried it in Nagasaki, we recommend you try the authentic taste.

In the prefecture, the two major champon are Nagasaki champon with its thick pork bone soup and Obama champon with its light chicken bone soup. The flavors vary depending on the restaurant, so you can enjoy comparing the two.

If you visit Nagasaki Prefecture, be sure to try Nagasaki Champon.

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