Type Noodle soup Region or state Nagasaki | Place of origin Japan | |
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Main ingredients ramen noodles, frying pork, seafood, and vegetables Similar Sara udon, Ramen, Udon, Jiaozi, Noodle | ||
Champon (ちゃんぽん, Chanpon), also known as Chanpon, is a noodle dish that is a regional cuisine of Nagasaki. There are different versions in Japan, Korea and China. The dish was, inspired from the cuisine of China. Champon is made by frying pork, seafood and vegetables with lard; a soup made with chicken and pig bones is then added. Ramen noodles made especially for champon are added and then boiled. Unlike other ramen dishes, only one pan is needed as the noodles are boiled in the soup. Depending on the season and the situation, the ingredients differ. Hence the taste and style may depend on the location and time of year.
Contents
Although Nagasaki Champon is the most well-known rendition, there are other variations found in Japan. Ankake no Champon is a soy-sauce based variant found in Tottori, Shimane Prefectures, as well as the city of Amagasaki in Hyōgo Prefecture. In the city of Akita, a version with miso broth is served, with the soup filling to the bowl almost to the point of overflowing.
In Okinawa, Champon is a rice dish where assorted vegetables, thinly-sliced meat (pork, luncheon meat or corned beef hash) and scrambled egg are fried and served on top of rice.
The Korean Jjamppong is a similar noodle dish with a spicy seafood broth.
History
Champon was first served by Shikairō (四海楼), a Chinese restaurant in Nagasaki. According to the restaurant, it was based on a dish in Fujian cuisine, tonniishiimen (湯肉絲麵). In the middle of the Meiji period, the owner saw a need for a cheap, filling meal that suited the palates of hundreds of Chinese students who came to Japan for school. Nowadays, champon is a popular specialty food (or meibutsu) of Nagasaki.
Etymology
There are several theories as to the origin of the word champon. Its current definition is "to mix a variety of things." One theory is that it was derived from the Hokkien word chia̍h-pn̄g (食飯), which means "to eat a meal". Another theory is that the word was derived from the word campur Malay or Indonesian, meaning mixed (see Nasi campur).
