🕓 2025/7/16
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About Nagasaki Cuisine
Nagasaki Prefecture lies in the western part of Kyūshū and is surrounded by rich seas such as the East China Sea and the Gotō Nada. Its distinctive geography, combined with a long history of active exchange with foreign cultures, has shaped a unique culinary landscape. During the Edo period, Nagasaki hosted Dejima—the nation’s sole international trading port—where diverse cultures and ingredients intermingled and fostered an original food culture.
Among the many local specialties, Champon, Sara Udon, and Turkish Rice stand out as signature dishes of Nagasaki. Loved by locals and eagerly sought out by visitors from across the country, these three dishes embody the multicultural history woven into Nagasaki’s deep culinary heritage. When you visit, be sure to taste them and experience for yourself the rich flavors born of centuries of cultural exchange.
Three Must‑Try Gourmet Dishes in Nagasaki Prefecture
1. Nagasaki Champon
● The Allure of Nagasaki Champon
Nagasaki Champon is a local specialty that vividly reflects the city’s multicultural heritage. Created during the Meiji era for Chinese exchange students, it brings together land and sea treasures—cabbage, bean sprouts, carrot, onion, wood ear mushrooms, pork, shrimp, squid, and fish‑cake—into one eye‑catching, appetizing bowl.
Finished with springy thick noodles in a rich house‑made broth, each serving is both nutritious and visually vibrant. The pork‑ and chicken‑bone soup is mild yet full‑bodied, making champon a beloved home‑style dish for locals. For many visitors, tasting authentic champon is a prime reason to travel to Nagasaki, giving the dish an iconic status in both food culture and tourism.
● History of Nagasaki Champon
The dish originated in 1899 at Shikairō, a Chinese restaurant opened by Mr. Chen Ping‑shun from Fujian Province. Wanting to provide an inexpensive, wholesome meal for financially strapped Chinese students, he devised this hearty noodle soup.
There are several theories about the name “champon.” One traces it to the Chinese term shapon (喰飯, “to eat”), while another links it to the Portuguese word champong (“to mix”).
Champon quickly spread throughout Nagasaki City and became a staple loved by locals.
● Where to Eat Nagasaki Champon!
- Restaurant: Chinese Restaurant Kōsanrō – Chinatown Main Branch
- Highlights: Ask any local gourmet and Kōsanrō is usually the first name that surfaces when discussing the “pinnacle” of Nagasaki Champon. Review sites consistently place it at the very top, cementing its reputation as the reigning champion of champon. Whereas Shikairō’s broth is often praised as gentle and mellow, Kōsanrō’s is celebrated for its luxurious creaminess and profound depth of flavor.
- Address: 13‑13 Shinchimachi, Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture
- Access: 2–5 min walk from Shinchi‑Chukagai stop on the Nagasaki Electric Tramway
- Google Maps：https://maps.app.goo.gl/6PzYJR2AXGnhDavC9
2. Sara Udon (Crispy Noodle Plate)
● The Allure of Sara Udon
Sara Udon’s greatest charm lies in its contrasting textures. A generous ladle of thick, savory seafood‑and‑vegetable sauce is poured over a mound of ultra‑crispy fried thin noodles, creating an irresistible harmony of crunch and silkiness. Toppings include pork, shrimp, squid, cabbage, bean sprouts, carrot, shiitake, fish‑cake, and even quail eggs, offering excellent nutritional balance.
Locals like to drizzle Worcestershire sauce or vinegar—especially the hometown favorite Kincho Sauce—to vary the flavor. Over time, the sauce soaks into the noodles, transforming the dish from crisp to pleasantly tender, allowing diners to enjoy two textures in one plate.
● History of Sara Udon
Sara Udon began as “broth‑less champon,” devised to prevent soup from spilling during delivery. The original version used the same thick noodles as champon, stir‑fried with toppings and seasoned with only a small amount of broth. Because it was served on a flat plate, it became known as Sara Udon (“plate udon”).
Seeking a simpler cooking method, chefs later started topping deep‑fried thin noodles with a rich, starchy sauce filled with vegetables, pork, and seafood—the style that now dominates.
● Where to Eat Sara Udon!
- Restaurant: Chinese Restaurant Kōsanrō – Chinatown Main Branch
- Highlights: Famous for champon, Kōsanrō shows equal prowess with Sara Udon. It offers both of Nagasaki’s two classic noodle types: crispy thin noodles and soft thick noodles. Because Sara Udon preferences hinge on noodle texture, serving both styles ensures every guest leaves satisfied.
- Address: 13‑13 Shinchimachi, Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture
- Access: 2–5 min walk from Shinchi‑Chukagai stop on the Nagasaki Electric Tramway
- Google Maps：https://maps.app.goo.gl/6PzYJR2AXGnhDavC9
3. Turkish Rice (Toruko Rice)
出展：https://www.nagasaki-bus.co.jp/
● The Allure of Turkish Rice
Turkish Rice is prized for its free‑spirited combinations. The classic trio is pilaf, spaghetti, and pork cutlet, but many restaurants add hamburg steak, fried shrimp, curry sauce, or demi‑glace, offering endless variations—and a fresh surprise every visit.
Nagasaki City is dotted with cafés and Western‑style diners serving Turkish Rice, beloved by locals and tourists alike. The venerable café Tsuru‑chan alone offers more than ten versions. Its signature “Old‑School Turkish Rice” layers butter rice, Napolitan spaghetti, and pork cutlet, all crowned with curry sauce.
● History of Turkish Rice
Centering on Nagasaki City, Turkish Rice heaps pilaf, spaghetti, and pork cutlet onto one hearty plate. The exact origin and etymology remain unclear.
One theory says the name comes from pilaf being related to the Turkish dish pilav; another suggests the mélange of Western and Eastern foods evokes Turkey’s historic role as a crossroads of cultures.
● Where to Eat Turkish Rice!
- Restaurant: Tsuru‑chan
- Highlights: Symbolizing Nagasaki’s Western‑influenced cuisine, Turkish Rice finds its most storied home at Tsuru‑chan. Founded in 1925 (Taishō 14), this is Kyūshū’s oldest café. While it does not claim to be the absolute “originator,” few doubt the shop’s pivotal role in popularizing—and continuously serving—Turkish Rice for nearly a century. For many locals, “Turkish Rice means Tsuru‑chan.”
- Address: 2‑47 Aburayamachi, Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture
- Access: Steps from Shianbashi stop on the Nagasaki Electric Tramway
- Google Maps：https://maps.app.goo.gl/JvzrWqLvy7qrCB65A