Nagasaki, Japan has been a big part of connection with other countries – there is a harbor city for trading with other countries for hundreds years. There are a lot of foods featured by cuisines from other countries such as Champon, Sara Udon, Sasebo Burger, Kasutera, etc. You can enjoy Nagasaki Local Food and its history.
Nagasaki Champon
It is famous Japan-wide due to the restaurant named Ringer Hut where you can eat Nagasaki Food. Champon means “mixing up”, and it literally mixed up with many ingredients like vegetables, meats, and seafoods(including fish cake).
It was invented by Chinese person who lived in Nagasaki around 1900 for students from China to have good nutrition of dish. And you put noodle on soup with ingredients to simmer until it boils up, which is the big difference from other Chinese noodle dish like Ramen.
I personally like it because of many ingredients and well-balanced nutrition.
Sara Udon
This is absolutely my most favorite Nagasaki food!!!!!! The ingredient that they use is basically same as Champon.
They stir vegetables, meat (usually pork), seafood (shrimp, fishcake, etc.) and add potato starch to make it thick., then put them on the fried thin noodle. Or stir with thick noodle, or put them on stirred thick noodle. Usually you find Sara Udon with thick fried noodle in anywhere, but you cannot find thick noodle easily beside Nagasaki. There are some local people who prefer thin noodle, others like thick noodle better.
Also, Some people like to put Japanese vinegar on, which i also do.
Sasebo Burger
This is hamburger from Sasebo City, Nagasaki. Interestingly, there is no specific definition for seasoning or taste, each shop has each style. But it needs to be handmade, also made after each order.
A while after WW2, in 1950, people in Sasebo was taught how to make hamburger from American navy people, and started making it. No one knows who made it first.
Although, it goes to everywhere in Japan slowly, and now it is well known by people in Japan.
Goto Udon (Noodle)
Goto Udon is from Goto area, Nagasaki, and one of 3 best Udon noodles with Sanuki Udon and Inaniwa Udon. But Goto Udon is not famous as others, sadly.
It is thin noodle than normal Udon, although it still is chewy. The big difference from other Udon noodle is aged with camellia oil on.
Shimabara Tenobe Soumen Noodle
It is Soumen Noodle from Shimabara Area (Shimabara City and Minami Shimabara City). Shimabara Soumen is one of famous Soumen noodle with Miwa Soumen from Nara and Shodoshima Soumen from Kagawa.
There are 2 theories how Soumen came to Shimabara. One is from Shodoshima, Kagawa. The other is from China.
Now the 30% of Tenobe (hand pulling) Soumen noodle is produced in Minami Shimabara, Nagasaki. And the feature of Shimabara Soumen is chewiness, and it doesn’t cut even if you simmered in soup.
Toruko (Turkey) Rice
There is nothing to do with Turkey, directly. It is a one-plate-dish with Tonkatsu (Pork Cutlet) on Curry pilaf and Spagetti Napolitan (this is also Japanese-Italian-ish dish). Depends on restaurant, a sauce they put on Tonkatsu is different, it could be Tonkatsu sauce, Curry, or Demi-glaze sauce.
It fills your stomach up absolutely!
Kasutera
It is a sweet made by eggs, sugar, syrup(honey), and flour from Nagasaki. Although, they created it based on Spanish sweet Bizcocho.
After Nagasaki opened a port for trading in 1571, a Portuguese man explained that is Castilla Bolo (Sweet from Castilla) and Japanese people thought that’s what it is, and they started calling it Kasutera.
It is a great souvenir/gift to visit someone, and still very popular sweet in Japan.
My family has a big connection to Nagasaki, actually. so i have been there so many times, and i eat Nagasaki food often too. Hope you find something you’d try 😉
