Champon (ちゃんぽん Chanpon ), also known as Chanpon, is a noodle dish that is a regional cuisine of Nagasaki, Japan. Due to the inspiration from Chinese cuisine, it is also a form of Japanese Chinese cuisine. Champon is made by frying pork, seafood and vegetables with lard; a soup made with chicken and pig bones is added. A ramen noodle made especially for champon is added and then boiled. Unlike other ramen dishes, only one pan is needed as the noodle is boiled in the soup. Depending on the season and the situation, ingredients differ. Hence the taste and style may depend on the location and time of year.
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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 )[1] In the middle of Meiji period, the owner saw a need for a cheap, but filling, meal that fitted the taste of hundreds of Chinese students who came to Japan for schooling opportunities. Nowadays Champon is a popular specialty food (or meibutsu) of Nagasaki and is a one of most popular Koreanized Chinese foods in Korea.
The word champon may also be used for many kinds of random acts where things are mixed. It can also be used to describe the practice of mixing different types of alcohol on a single occasion. In Korea, jjambbong (짬뽕) is a slang which means mix-up.
In Korean Chinese cuisine there is a similar dish called jjambbong (짬뽕). The Shandong version tends to be the most spicy.
In the late 19th century and early 20th century, many Chinese emigrated to Japan and Korea. There was a regular sea route between Nagasaki and Jemulpo via Busan. Many of the Chinese immigrants opened restaurants and created new versions of their home food. In Korea, it became spicier by using red pepper, chili oil, and doubanjiang (Chinese red pepper paste). Today, it is a popular dish that is common in Korea and in Korean neighbourhoods around the world.