Shippoku Cuisine, Champon, and Castella
Located on the western edge of Japan, Nagasaki has a long history of exchange with the outside world. It has acted as a bridge to the continent since ancient times and from the Meiji Era it flourished as the only place in Japan open to the West. Nagasaki has absorbed many different cultural influences along the way.
The natural bounty of the land and sea around Nagasaki has been fused with influences and inspirations from abroad to bring about the unique food culture of Nagasaki. Below I’ll introduce Shippoku Cuisine, Champon, and Castella but they are just three of the many different examples of Nagasaki’s international fare.
Shippoku Cuisine is not just an array of dishes but also a style of eating. Guests sit around a circular table on which food is piled high in dishes for the guests to take themselves. The first character in the word shippoku is 卓 which means “table” and the second character is 袱 which means “table cloth”. The idea of sharing food from bowls around a table comes from China, but there are also elements of Portuguese and Dutch influences, all combining to become this unique fusion of Japanese, Chinese, and Western foods. In this signature Nagasaki style meal, you can find sashimi, yubiki (lightly boiled fish), beans, Nagasaki-style tempura, braised pork, as well as dishes that change with the season.
Another dish synonymous with Nagasaki is champon, which is loved by tourists and locals alike. It’s said that it was created in the Meiji Era by a Chinese restaurant owner. He wanted make a healthful and filling meal for Chinese students studying in Nagasaki. One thing that sets Champon apart is how full it is with ingredients. What goes into champon will vary by town and even by restaurant but you can usually count on there being pork, squid, clam, prawns, oysters, carrots, different varieties of fish cake, cabbage, beansprouts, and mushrooms.
Nagasaki is also known for Sara udon (“plate noodles”). There are two main varieties of this dish: one with a thin, crispy noodle base and another with a thick, soft champon noodle base.
Lastly, let me tell you about the omiyage (souvenir) that everyone has to have from Nagasaki: Castella. This treat was brought to Japan in the 16th century by Portuguese missionaries. The original castella was too tough for Japanese palates, so Japanese sweets makers experimented with the recipe and it was through their work that we have the soft castella with granulated sugar on the bottom that we love today.
There are many more delicious things to be discovered here in Nagasaki, so please come and taste them for yourself!
