Tis the Season for… Noodle Soup?
Hey everyone! So, if you’re ever in Seoul around December, you’ll notice the city is buzzing with ‘송년회’ (song-nyeon-hoe), which are basically year-end parties. After the main dinner and drinks, we always head out for a ‘2차’ (ee-cha), or the second round. And when you’re full but still want something savory to share, the go-to order is often Nagasaki Jjamppong. It’s this amazing noodle soup with a creamy white broth, tons of seafood, and veggies. But it always starts an argument: where is it actually from? Most people assume it’s Chinese, but the name has ‘Nagasaki’ in it… so is it Japanese? Let’s solve this mystery!
The Real Story: Born in Japan, with Chinese Roots
Okay, so here’s the tea. Nagasaki Jjamppong was actually born in Nagasaki, Japan, back in the late 1890s. The port city of Nagasaki was one of the few places in Japan open to foreign trade at the time, and it had a large community of Chinese immigrants and students. The story goes that a Chinese restaurant owner named Chen Pingxun, who ran a place called ‘Shikairo’ (사해루), felt bad for the homesick Chinese students who didn’t have much money.
He wanted to create a cheap, filling, and nutritious meal for them. So, he used a rich broth made from pork and chicken bones, threw in fresh local Nagasaki seafood and vegetables like cabbage, and added noodles to make it a hearty one-bowl meal. It was an instant hit, not just with the students, but with everyone in Nagasaki.
So… What Does ‘Jjamppong’ Even Mean?
The name itself has a super cute origin story. The original dish was called something like ‘Shina Udon’ (which just meant ‘Chinese Udon’). The name ‘Chanpon’ (which became ‘Jjamppong’ in Korean) is believed to have come from the Fujian dialect phrase for asking someone if they’ve eaten, ‘chia̍h-pn̄g’ (食飯), which sounded like ‘chapon’ to the Japanese. It’s basically the equivalent of a friendly ‘What’s up?’ or ‘Did you eat?’ becoming the name of the dish itself! How cool is that?
White Broth vs. Red Broth
Now, if you’re a fan of Korean food, you’ve probably seen the fiery, red jjamppong that’s a staple at Korean-Chinese restaurants. That’s our version! The Nagasaki style is completely different with its savory, mild, white broth. The spicy red version we love in Korea evolved much later when the dish crossed the sea and was adapted to the Korean palate, which famously loves a good kick of chili. While Nagasaki Jjamppong is comforting and savory, Korean Jjamppong is all about that spicy punch. So next time you’re out, you’ll know the difference between the Japanese original and its fiery Korean cousin!
