Nagasaki is famous for its champon, but San'in champon is popular in Tottori. Although it is the same champon, the taste and appearance are completely different.

Let's explore the characteristics and history of San'in Chanpon.

Characteristics of San'in Chanpon

San'in Champon is a local B-class gourmet dish from Tottori Prefecture. Its main feature is the beef bone-based sauce that contains pork, eggs, Chinese cabbage, onions, and wood ear mushrooms. The vegetables are thinly sliced, just like in the authentic Nagasaki Champon. The thinly sliced ingredients and medium-thin curly noodles are an excellent match with the sauce.

San'in Champon is made with a beef bone broth-based soup that is either salty or soy sauce flavored. Both have a light taste. The beef bones are carefully simmered, allowing the flavor and collagen to dissolve into the soup. The soup has the fragrant and sweet taste of beef fat, allowing you to enjoy the rich flavor that only beef bones can provide. Some restaurants also blend in vegetable broth, which is recommended for those who prefer a milder flavor.

This is a big difference from Nagasaki Champon, which is made with pork bones and chicken bones as the base. It looks like ramen with a thick sauce, so locals call it "Ankake Champon."

The basic way to make San'in Champon is to first fry the pork and other ingredients.

Once cooked, add beef bone soup and thicken with potato starch.

Some restaurants add beaten eggs at the end.

Finally, boil the noodles, drain them, place them in a bowl, and top with the sauce to finish.

The appeal of San'in Chanpon

San'in Chanpon is full of ingredients and very filling. It warms you from the inside out, so it's a dish you'll want to eat especially in the cold season. Since the noodles in San'in Chanpon are sunk to the bottom, the key is to mix the bean paste, ingredients, and noodles well at the beginning.

San'in champon has a mild flavor, but you can really taste the umami of the ingredients. Adding pepper or vinegar will change the flavor even more, which is fun. The thick sauce clings to the noodles, so by the time you finish eating, there's almost no soup left. But because the sauce is so tasty, you'll find yourself drinking it all up. It's an addictively delicious champon.

The History of San'in Chanpon

The restaurant that is said to have originated San'in Champon is Marutoyo Shokudo, which was founded in 1921. It is said that San'in Champon was an original menu item that was available from the time the restaurant first opened. It is said that the name San'in Champon was created to distinguish it from Nagasaki Champon, the classic type of champon. Unfortunately, Marutoyo Shokudo has closed down.

First of all, why beef bones instead of chicken or pork bones? Tottori has been one of Japan's leading beef producing areas since the Edo period, and was the first prefecture in the country to work on registering wagyu beef. Beef bones were easy to obtain and could produce high-quality stock, and beef bone soup became popular. Apparently, back then, they were available for free.

By the way, Tottori's famous beef, "Kedaka", is said to be the ancestor of all Japanese beef cattle in Japan. For this reason, Tottori is also known as the "hometown of Japanese beef cattle."

Tottori Tourism Information

Tottori Prefecture, with its lush mountains and sea, is a place where you can enjoy nature throughout the four seasons. Here we will introduce three popular sightseeing spots in Tottori.

Tottori Sand Dunes

The Tottori Sand Dunes are one of the largest coastal sand dunes in Japan. They have been designated a national natural monument and one of Japan's 100 most geologically significant sites. The Tottori Sand Dunes, which change appearance depending on the weather and wind direction, are known as "miraculous beauty of form." Some people are fascinated by their beauty and visit the dunes multiple times.

Tottori Sand Dunes is not just a place to stroll around. There are plenty of activities to enjoy, such as camel rides and paragliding. There are also many facilities nearby, such as the Sand Museum and the Sand Dune Hot Spring Community Center, making it a popular tourist spot where you can enjoy the whole day.

Daisen

Mount Daisen, the highest peak in the Chugoku region, boasts an elevation of 1,709m and is a natural heritage site of Tottori Prefecture alongside the Tottori Sand Dunes. Unlike when viewed from the north and south, when viewed from the west it resembles Mount Fuji, which is why it is also known as "Hoki Fuji." This famous mountain was once chosen as one of the top three mountains, following Mount Fuji and Mount Yari, in the "Ranking of Japan's Most Famous Mountains" conducted by NHK.

It has been designated a national park due to its magnificent nature. It is also a bird sanctuary and natural forest reserve, where you can encounter a variety of flora and fauna. It is a tourist spot where you can enjoy hiking and camping from spring to autumn, and skiing in winter. The nearby Mt. Daisen Makiba Milk Village is also popular.

Tottori Flower Corridor

Tottori Flower Park is one of the largest flower parks in Japan. The main flower on display all year round is the lily. Tottori Flower Park is the only place in Japan where all 15 varieties of wild lilies native to Japan are on display.

There is also a huge glass greenhouse called the Flower Dome where you can enjoy flowers and plants regardless of the weather or season, so you can enjoy flowers at any time. In addition, there is a 1km covered observation corridor around the flower corridor, so you can stroll around the garden without an umbrella even on rainy days. It is level so it is easy to walk on, making it a tourist spot that can be enjoyed by the whole family, from children to the elderly.

How to get to Tottori

There are various ways to access Tottori. Here we will introduce the travel time required for each method. Travel time will vary depending on the season, weather, etc.

It takes about 5 hours from Tokyo by Shinkansen or express train, and about 3 hours from Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima.

If you are heading to Tottori from Tokyo, we recommend flying. It takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes from Haneda Airport to Tottori Sand Dunes Conan Airport. There are 5 flights per day.

It takes about 20 minutes by bus from Tottori Sand Dunes Conan Airport to Tottori Station and the Tottori Sand Dunes. It takes about an hour by bus to Kurayoshi Station and the Gosho Aoyama Manga Museum.

We also recommend taking a leisurely drive to Tottori.

Location of Tottori Prefecture

summary

San'in Champon is made with beef bone stock, but it doesn't have any unpleasant odor. It has a mild flavor and is easy to eat, so it is loved by people of all ages. The unique aroma and the hot sauce that coats the noodles well will whet your appetite. It is a dish that is especially recommended during the cold season.

If you visit Tottori, be sure to try San'in Chanpon.

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