Champon facts for kids
Original Shikairō Champon
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| Type | Noodle soup |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | China (original) Japan (introduced) |
| Region or state | Nagasaki |
| Associated national cuisine | Japanese Chinese cuisine |
| Created by | Chinese restaurant in Nagasaki |
| Main ingredients | ramen noodles, frying pork, seafood, and vegetables |
Champon (ちゃんぽん, Chanpon) is a yummy noodle dish. It comes from Nagasaki, Japan. You can find different kinds of Champon in Japan, Korea, and China. This tasty dish was first inspired by Chinese cooking.
Champon is made by cooking pork, seafood, and vegetables in a pan. Then, a rich soup made from chicken and pig bones is added. Special Ramen noodles are put into the soup and boiled right there. This means you only need one pan to make it! The ingredients can change with the season. So, the taste might be a bit different depending on when and where you try it.
While Nagasaki Champon is the most famous, there are other types in Japan. For example, Ankake no Champon uses a soy-sauce based soup. You can find it in Tottori and Shimane. In Akita, they serve a version with a miso broth. The bowl is usually filled almost to the top!
In Okinawa, Champon is a bit different. It's a rice dish! They fry vegetables, thin slices of meat (like pork or luncheon meat), and scrambled egg. This mix is then served on top of rice. Korea also has a similar noodle dish called Jjamppong. It has a spicy seafood broth and also came from Korean Chinese cuisine.
History of Champon
The first Champon was served in 1899. It was at a Chinese restaurant called Shikairō (四海楼, meaning “Four Seas House”) in Nagasaki. The restaurant says it was based on a dish from Fujian cuisine in China. This dish was called “shredded meat noodles in soup.” Most Chinese people in Nagasaki Chinatown were from Fujian.
Back in the late 1800s, many Chinese students came to Japan for school. The owner of Shikairō wanted to make a cheap, filling meal for them. It also needed to taste good to them. Today, Champon is a very popular special food in Nagasaki. It's known as a meibutsu.
What Does "Champon" Mean?
There are a few ideas about where the word champon came from. One idea is that it came from a Chinese word, chia̍h-pn̄g. This means "to eat a meal." This makes sense because Champon is a hearty noodle dish with many ingredients mixed together.
Another idea is that it came from the Indonesian word campur. This word means “mixed.” You might have heard of Nasi campur, which is a Javanese dish. This idea fits the older meaning of champon, which was "mixed together."
The idea of "mixed together" appeared in old writings from the mid-1700s. Some Japanese dictionaries say it came from a Chinese term meaning "to mix." The word champon started being used for the food around the late 1800s or early 1900s. It seems to have started at the Shikairō restaurant in Nagasaki.
See also
In Spanish: Champon para niños
