Nagasaki chanpon
長崎ちゃんぽんNoodle
Nagasaki chanpon suits anyone who wants a whole meal in one big bowl, pork, seafood and vegetables over thick noodles, and it is heavier than most ramen.
The name
ちゃんぽん
ちゃんぽんSaid to come from a Fujianese greeting meaning to eat a meal
japanese
Shikairo gives the Fujianese greeting as the origin. Japan's ministry of agriculture lists it alongside other theories, among them a Portuguese word for mixing, and settles on none.
Where to eat Nagasaki chanpon · 1 place
In 1899 Chen Pingshun, the founder of the Chinese restaurant Shikairo, set out to feed Chinese students in Nagasaki something cheap and nourishing. He fried scraps of meat and vegetables in one pan, added noodles and simmered them in a strong chicken and pork-bone soup. The noodles cook in the soup, so the whole dish comes out of a single wok.
Japan's ministry of agriculture traces the idea to a light Fujian noodle soup with pork, shiitake and bamboo shoot, made richer and heavier in Nagasaki. Typical toppings are pork, cabbage, spring onion, bean sprouts, squid, prawns and the city's pink-and-white fish cake, with clams in summer and oysters in winter. Shikairo also invented sara udon, the same toppings over fried noodles with less liquid.
The name has two stories. Shikairo says it comes from a Fujianese greeting used by Nagasaki's Chinese community that meant to eat a meal, and other accounts point to a Portuguese word for mixing. In Shiga, Omi chanpon is a separate, lighter dish that grew from a Hikone cook's trip to Nagasaki.
Quick answers about Nagasaki chanponよくある質問
Who invented Nagasaki chanpon?
Chen Pingshun, founder of the Chinese restaurant Shikairo in Nagasaki, created it in 1899 as a cheap, filling meal for Chinese students in the city.
How do you order Nagasaki chanpon?
Order the chanpon for the soup version or sara udon for crisp fried noodles under a thick sauce of the same toppings.
When is Nagasaki chanpon in season?
Nagasaki chanpon: All year. Clams go in during summer and oysters in winter.
Where can you eat Nagasaki chanpon in Japan?
Places we list for Nagasaki chanpon include Shikairo.