Chanpon
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, also known as ''Chanpon'', is a
noodle Noodles are a type of food made from unleavened dough which is either rolled flat and cut, stretched, or extruded, into long strips or strings. Noodles are a staple food in many cultures (for example, Chinese noodles, Filipino noodles, In ...
dish that is a
regional cuisine Regional cuisine is cuisine based upon national, state or local regions. Regional cuisines may vary based upon food availability and trade, varying climates, cooking traditions and practices, and cultural differences.Nagasaki is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. It became the sole port used for trade with the Portuguese and Dutch during the 16th through 19th centuries. The Hidden Christian Sites in the ...
, Japan. There are different versions in Japan, Korea and China. The dish was inspired by
Chinese cuisine Chinese cuisine encompasses the numerous cuisines originating from China, as well as overseas cuisines created by the Chinese diaspora. Because of the Chinese diaspora and historical power of the country, Chinese cuisine has influenced many ot ...
. ''Champon'' is made by frying pork, seafood and vegetables with lard; a soup made with chicken and pig bones is then added.
Ramen is a Japanese noodle dish. It consists of served in a broth; common flavors are soy sauce and miso, with typical toppings including , nori (dried seaweed), menma (bamboo shoots), and scallions. Ramen has its roots in Chinese noodle di ...
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. Although Nagasaki Champon is the best-known rendition, there are other variations found in Japan. ''Ankake no Champon'' is a soy-sauce based variant found in Tottori,
Shimane is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Shimane Prefecture is the second-least populous prefecture of Japan at 665,205 (February 1, 2021) and has a geographic area of 6,708.26 km2. Shimane Prefecture borders Yamaguc ...
Prefectures, as well as the city of
Amagasaki 270px, Amagasaki Castle 270px, Aerial view of Amagasaki city center 270px, Amagasaki Station is an industrial city located in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 455,555 in 223812 households, and a population de ...
in
Hyōgo Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Hyōgo Prefecture has a population of 5,469,762 () and has a geographic area of . Hyōgo Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the east, Osaka Prefecture to the southeast, an ...
. In the city of
Akita is a Japanese name and may refer to: Places * 8182 Akita, a main-belt asteroid * Akita Castle, a Nara period fortified settlement in Akita, Japan * Akita Domain, also known as Kubota Domain, feudal domain in Edo period Japan * Akita, Kumamoto ...
, a version with
miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning. It is a thick paste produced by fermenting soybeans with salt and ''kōji'' (the fungus '' Aspergillus oryzae'') and sometimes rice, barley, seaweed, or other ingredients. It is used for sauces and spre ...
broth is served, with the soup filling the bowl almost to the point of overflowing. In
Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...
, 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 ''Jjamppong'' () is a Korean Chinese noodle soup with red, spicy seafood- or pork-based broth flavored with '' gochugaru'' (chili powder). Common ingredients include onions, garlic, Korean zucchini, carrots, cabbages, squid, mussels, and pork. ...
is a similar noodle dish with a spicy seafood broth, with similar origins as part of
Korean Chinese cuisine Korean–Chinese cuisine (), also known as Sino–Korean cuisine, is a hybrid cuisine developed by the ethnic Chinese in Korea. Despite originally being derived from Chinese cuisine, Korean-Chinese cuisine consists of unique dishes with Korea ...
.


History

''Champon'' was first served by , a Chinese restaurant founded in
Nagasaki is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. It became the sole port used for trade with the Portuguese and Dutch during the 16th through 19th centuries. The Hidden Christian Sites in the ...
in 1899. According to the restaurant's website, this was based on a dish in Fujian cuisine, (''Chanpon no Yurai'', “The Origins of Chanpon”)
(in Japanese) . Official website of the ''Shikairō'' Restaurant
(pronounced as ''tó̤ng nṳ̀ sí mīng'' in
Min Bei Northern Min () is a group of mutually intelligible Min varieties spoken in Nanping prefecture of northwestern Fujian. Classification and distribution Early classifications of varieties of Chinese, such as those of Li Fang-Kuei in 1937 and Y ...
), which translates to “shredded meat noodles in soup”. The majority of the Chinese population in
Nagasaki Chinatown Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown (Japanese: 長崎新地中華街, Simplified Chinese: 长崎新地中华街) is an area located in Nagasaki, Nagasaki, Japan. Today this area is a shopping strip covering many blocks. Most of the Chinese members of N ...
is from
Fujian Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capi ...
. In the middle of the Meiji era (late 19th century - early 20th century), 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 is a term most often applied to regional specialties (also known as ). can also be applied to specialized areas of interest, such as , where it refers to famous tea utensils, or Japanese swords, where it refers to specific named famous blades. ...
'') of Nagasaki.


Etymology

There are several theories as to the origin of the word ''champon''. One theory is that it was derived from the
Hokkien The Hokkien () variety of Chinese is a Southern Min language native to and originating from the Minnan region, where it is widely spoken in the south-eastern part of Fujian in southeastern mainland China. It is one of the national languages in ...
word ''chia̍h-pn̄g'' (食飯), which means "to eat a meal", which might fit the sense of “a hearty noodle dish made of mixed ingredients”. Another theory is that the word was derived from the word campur from
Indonesian Indonesian is anything of, from, or related to Indonesia, an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It may refer to: * Indonesians, citizens of Indonesia ** Native Indonesians, diverse groups of local inhabitants of the archipelago ** Indonesian ...
, meaning “mixed” (see '' Nasi campur'', a Javanese dish), which would fit the term's older sense of “mixed together”. The original sense of “mixed together” appears in texts from the mid-1700s.1988, (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese),
Tōkyō Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
:
Shogakukan is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, comics (manga), non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan. Shogakukan founded Shueisha, which also founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hit ...
, entry available onlin
here
/ref> Some Japanese dictionaries trace this to Chinese term ("to mix"), pronounced as ''chham-hô'' in modern
Min-Nan Southern Min (), Minnan (Mandarin pronunciation: ) or Banlam (), is a group of linguistically similar and historically related Sinitic languages that form a branch of Min Chinese spoken in Fujian (especially the Minnan region), most of Taiwan ...
and as ''chānhuò'' in modern
Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...
. Usage to refer to the food item appears from the late 19th century - early 20th century, apparently originating from the ''Shikairō'' Chinese restaurant in Nagasaki.Entry in the (''Nihon no Kyōdo Ryōri ga Wakaru Jiten'', “Dictionary for Understanding Japanese Home-town Cooking”; in Japanese)
/ref>


See also

*
Jjamppong ''Jjamppong'' () is a Korean Chinese noodle soup with red, spicy seafood- or pork-based broth flavored with '' gochugaru'' (chili powder). Common ingredients include onions, garlic, Korean zucchini, carrots, cabbages, squid, mussels, and pork. ...
*
List of ramen dishes This is a list of notable ramen dishes. Ramen is a Japanese dish that consists of Chinese-style wheat noodles served in a meat or (occasionally) fish-based broth, often flavored with soy sauce or miso. Ramen dishes often include toppings such as ...
*
Japanese Chinese cuisine Japanese Chinese cuisine or ''Chūka'' is a style of Japanese cuisine served by Chinese restaurants popularized in Japan in the late 19th century and more recent times. This style of food is different from modern Chinatown Chinese food in Japa ...


References

{{Soups, state=collapsed Ramen dishes Noodle soups Chinese cuisine Chinese noodle dishes Japanese noodle dishes Japanese Chinese cuisine