Food of Nagasaki

33 dishes

• 🐟Arumado (Egg in Fish-cake)📍 Nagasaki"Arumado" is a local specialty from the Hirado area, which served as a key point for overseas trade until the early Edo period. It is a molded dish containing boiled eggs, and its distinctive feature is the pink color outlining the cut section, achieved by using food coloring. While primarily associated with Hirado, a similar molded dish is known as "Arimado" in Sasebo, with just a slight difference in spelling. In Nagasaki, it is called "Ryugan," named after the dragon-like appearance of the cut section. Each of these has become a local specialty in its respective region. The Western-style name "Arumado" is said to derive from the Dutch word "Almatoore" (to wrap) or the Portuguese word "Arumado" (to arm oneself). In Sasebo, there is a local belief that it was named "Arimado" by a missionary named Arimado, who supposedly devised it as a nutritious food.
• Champon📍 NagasakiThis noodle dish is known throughout Japan as a Nagasaki specialty. It is said to have originated in 1899 when Chin Heijun, the owner of the Chinese restaurant Shikairo, needed a cheap and nutritious meal to feed to Chinese exchange students. He stir-fried scraps of vegetables and meat in a pan, added Chinese noodles, and simmered these with a thick soup stock for a hearty, filling meal. There are various theories as to where the name champon comes from. It may originate from a mispronunciation of shanpon, a Chinese word for simple cooked rice, or from a mispronunciation of a Portuguese word for mixing or stirring.
• 🍱Guzouni/Shimabaraguzouni📍 NagasakiIt is one of Shimabara's representative local dishes. The origin of this dish is said to date back to the Shimabara Rebellion of 1637, when the general Amakusa Shiro and his 37,000 Christian followers holed up in the castle, and boiled rice cakes to nourish their strength and stamina for the long battle. It is known as a zoni with many ingredients made in an earthenware pot, a rarity in Japan, and many tourists visit Shimabara for the purpose of eating it.
• 🍱Hana-hajiki📍 Nagasaki"Hana-hajiki" is a local dish of the Isahaya area. Various ingredients are arranged in a radial pattern on a plate and eaten while dipping them in hot and vinegared miso. It has long been served as a vegetarian dish for Buddhist memorial services. The unique name “Hana-hajiki" comes from the fact that the spiciness of the spicy vinegared miso makes one's nose prickle. There is a culture in and outside of Nagasaki Prefecture to eat pickled takana, which is also called "hana-hajiki," but as a dish it is completely different.
• 🐟Hatoshi (Fried bread with shrimp paste)📍 Nagasaki"Hatoshi" is a dish introduced to Nagasaki from Qing (then China) during the Meiji period. The Chinese term "Hatoshi" is pronounced as "h duō sh ." It refers to a dish where shrimp paste is sandwiched between slices of bread, then deep-fried. Initially, it was one of the dishes served around a round table, belonging to the cuisine known as shippoku ryouri. Nowadays, it has become one of the familiar dishes to the public, to the extent that it is sold on the streets and in shops.
• 🍱Hikado📍 NagasakiA local dish that has been passed down in Nagasaki since the early 1600s. Portuguese missionaries and traders in Nagasaki used to eat stews made with beef and pork during the cold months. The taste gradually spread among the locals, and later on, unique ways of making it using locally grown vegetables, chicken, and fish were established. This is said to be the origin of the version of “hikado” as it is known today. The name “hikado” comes from the Portuguese word “picado,” which means to chop meat into small pieces. It was introduced as one of the Nanban dishes in cookbooks in the mid-Edo period.
• 🍱Hikitoshi📍 NagasakiThis is a typical local dish of Iki, a remote island in Nagasaki Prefecture. In the past, when Iki farmers had guests over for the Bon Festival, New Year's Day, and festivals, they would cook a nabe dish from the tasty chickens they kept at home, and entertain them by pulling them through to a tatami room in the back of the house. This is said to be the origin of the current nabe dish "hikitoshi," and the name is said to have come from the "hikimichi" of those days. In the Iki dialect, "huremae" means "to serve," so hittoshi is sometimes called "huremae ryori" (horemae cuisine).
• 🍱Igirisu📍 NagasakiA local dish passed down in the Shimabara Peninsula of Nagasaki Prefecture. "Igirisu" is said to have its roots in the dish "Igisu Tofu" from the Imabari region in Ehime Prefecture, which uses Igisu seaweed. Although the ingredients and methods vary slightly, a dish similar to those in Imabari started being made in Shimabara after the Shimabara Rebellion in 1637. This occurred when the Tokugawa Shogunate resettled farmers from various domains in Shikoku as part of reconstruction efforts after the rebellion. These newcomers discovered that Igisu seaweed could be harvested in the Ariake Sea just like in the Seto Inland Sea, leading to the development of this dish. The name "Igirisu" has no relation to the country name "England" ("Igirisu" in Japanese). Instead, it's believed to be a phonetic shift from "Igis," the name of the seaweed itself.
• 🍱Iriyaki📍 NagasakiA hot pot dish that has been passed down since ancient times in Tsushima, a remote island in the Sea of Japan. Since long ago, local households had a custom of slaughtering locally raised chickens to serve in a yosenabe hot pot for ceremonial family gatherings, and this is said to be connected to the "Iriyaki" of today. However, households by the sea in fishing villages were said to make their hot pot using fish caught in the nearby sea instead of chicken. Today, the basic "Iriyaki" recipe has two variations: one with chicken and one with fish. It is called "Iriyaki" because when making the hot pot, the chicken or fish are first fried in camellia oil. It is considered to be the same cooking technique as the "Iriyaki" that appears in “the Konjaku Monogatari” during the Heian period.
• 🍜Jigokudaki (Goto Udon/Shimabara Somen)📍 Nagasaki“Goto udon” is a traditional specialty from the "Goto Islands", located in the westernmost part of Nagasaki Prefecture. It is said that Japanese emissaries to the Tang dynasty introduced the original form of the dish after learning various things in China, since the "Goto islands" were formerly a port of call for ships carrying such envoys. Recent research suggests that "Goto udon's origin" might be related to a Chinese dish called "somen" from the Yantan area in Yongjia County, Zhejiang Province, China, since the two dishes are prepared in such a similar way. The noodles in Shimabara somen are not raw and use camellia oil. When boiled, the noodles are thin, round, and characterized by their slippery mouthfeel.
• Kankoro Mochi📍 Nagasaki“Kankoro Mochi” is a local specialty and has been enjoyed by the people of Goto region for many years. In this region, thin slices of sweet potato that are dried in the sun are referred to as “Kankoro”. A mixture of this kankoro and mochi is what makes “Kankoro Mochi”. In the past, this was a preservative food for the winter made by each household. The reason why kankoro was mixed with mochi was because glutinous rice used to make mochi was considered valuable at the time. The kankoro made the mochi more filling and was suitable for feeding large families. It has also been said that “Kirishitans” (=Catholic Christians), who came to the Goto Islands during the Edo period after being persecuted, made “Kankoro Mochi” to feed themselves.
• 🍚Kanzarashi (Sweet glutinous rice flour dumplings)📍 Nagasaki"Kanzarashi" is a traditional sweet that has been made in the entire area of Shimabara City for a long time. In the past, the common people in Shimabara couldn't afford to eat the rice, which they had to pay as taxes, and instead relied on eating crushed rice as their staple food. They ground it into rice flour that could be stored for a long time, and cooked and ate it each time. Rice flour also tends to go bad in summer. Therefore, people began to make dumplings, preserve them in spring water, and eat them. In the area, clear underground water gushed out from dozens of locations because of crustal deformation caused by the Shimabara Earthquake of 1792 (during the 4th year of the Kansei era in the Edo period), and this was the wisdom of people who made use of this water. Moreover, the Shimabara had a thriving sugar production environment. Eventually, the common people began making cold sweets using dumplings made of shiratamako (=glutinous rice flour) and sugar syrup. They started serving these sweets to summer visitors, which is said to be the origin of "Kanzarashi". In the past, the crushed glutinous rice ("Kuzumai") from the raw material of Mochi (=rice cake) was ground with a stone mill around the coldest days of winter called "Daikan". The sediment from this process was then dried to make shiratamako (=glutinous rice flour). It is said that the name "Kanzarashi" originated from this practice.
• Karasumi📍 NagasakiKarasumi (Japanese: からすみ or wūyú zǐ is a food item made by salting mullet roe pouch and drying it in sunlight. It is a softer analog of Mediterranean bottarga.
• 🍲Kujira-jaga (Whale Potato Stew)📍 NagasakiIn Nagasaki, whaling has been conducted since the Jomon period, and during the Edo period, Sonogi, located on the east side of Omura Bay, prospered as a center for traditional whaling. Alongside this, a culture of consuming whale meat took root in Nagasaki, giving rise to various whale dishes over the years. "Kujirajaga" is one of them. It emerged in local households as a version of nikujaga (meat and potato stew) with whale meat, developed in the modern era after the birth of the traditional nikujaga.
• 🍲Kuritsubo (Chestnuts and Vegetable Stew)📍 NagasakiKuritsubo is a traditional simmered dish that has been enjoyed in Kawatana Town and Higashisonogi Town for a long time. The name Kuritsubo comes from the use of chestnuts as ingredients, with kuri meaning chestnut, and tsubo referring to the bowl used to serve the dish as a jar.
• Lemon Steak📍 NagasakiLemon Steak is a local specialty that has been enjoyed in Sasebo City, Nagasaki Prefecture, since around 1955. In Sasebo, the influence of the newly established United States Navy base shortly after World War II led to the early popularity of American-style steaks in the neighborhood. In the midst of this trend, around 1955 (Showa 30), two brothers working at a Western-style restaurant decided to create a steak with a refreshing taste more suited to Japanese palates. They devised a steak with a light flavor, and just before the meat was done cooking, they added lemon juice to the Japanese-style sauce, giving birth to the name Lemon Steak.
• 🍱Nagasaki Tempura📍 Nagasaki“Nagasaki Tempura” is a traditional dish, which dates to around 400 years ago, from the time of the Nanban trade period. This dish is inspired from fritters made by Portuguese people at the time. In Japan, tempura is usually eaten with a dipping sauce but in this region, the batter is flavored with sugar and other seasonings and does not require a sauce. However, some believe that this dish is the origin of traditional Japanese tempura.Because,Others say that the name “Tempura” came from the Portuguese word “Tempero”, meaning to cook or that it refers to the period “Temporas”, when Christians refrain from eating meat and eat fish as an alternative. It is said that “Kirishitans” (=Catholic Christians) living in Nagasaki developed this dish when they were not eating meat as “Nagasaki Tempura” can be made with fish and vegetables.
• 🍱Nagasaki-mirukuseki (Nagasaki milkshake)📍 NagasakiNagasaki Milkshake is an iced dessert that originated in Nagasaki City in the late Taisho and early Showa periods. The first tearoom in Kyushu, Tsuruchan, is said to have made milkshakes with crushed ice to make it easier to beat the scorching summer heat in Nagasaki. It became so popular that it was subsequently offered at numerous shops in the city. It is now known nationwide as "Edible Milkshake" in Nagasaki.
• 🍱Nigomi📍 NagasakiThis is a local dish of Omura City, Nagasaki Prefecture, known for its peanuts. It is a stew characterized by the inclusion of thin-skinned boiled peanuts as one of the ingredients, and is said to have been introduced to Japan during the Edo period (1603-1868) when it was served as a hospitality dish in the Omura area. The name "nigomi" is derived from the word "nikomi" (stew). The dish is similar to "nikomi" in Kyushu, but differs in that the chicken, root vegetables, and other ingredients are cut into 1 cm cubes. There are two theories as to why the ingredients are cut into small pieces: one is that it is to make it easier to eat according to the size of the peanuts, and the other is that it is the result of the wisdom of the people in the past that was inherited to minimize the waste of ingredients.
• 🍱Nuppe📍 Nagasaki"Nuppe" is a local dish that has been passed down from generation to generation in the Isahaya area. In fact, similar dishes exist all over Japan. In addition to the same name " Nuppe," there are many other names that differ by one character, such as "Nuppei" and " Noppe" (each of which is sometimes called by adding "soup" at the end). All of them have in common that root vegetables, mainly satoimo(=Japanese taro), are cut into small pieces and boiled, and that the soup is thickened. It is not known when and where they originated. One theory is that it came to be made in various regions because the main ingredients, root vegetables, are readily available and inexpensive, and because they do not easily fall apart when boiled, making it easy to prepare large quantities in a single batch and keep them on hand. It is also believed to have been influenced by the fact that because it can be heated and served each time, it was seen as an ideal dish for both large gatherings and as an everyday side dish. The name "nuppe" is said to come from the thickening of satoimo(=Japanese taro) and Katakuriko(=potato starch) to make it "nuttori".
• 🍚Oomura zushi(Oomura sushi)📍 NagasakiThis is a local dish that has been handed down in Omura City since ancient times. It is said to have originated in the Muromachi period (1336-1573), when Omura Sumikore, who was defeated in battle and had his territory taken away from him, returned to Omura City after making a counterattack and regaining his territory, and the local people made oshizushi to celebrate. The reason for the oshi-zushi was because there were not enough plates to feed the large number of soldiers. The local people prepared oshi-zushi by spreading a large amount of freshly cooked rice in a shallow wooden box (morobuta) and topping it with a double layer of ingredients, which the soldiers then cut into squares with a side knife and ate. According to this tradition, Omura-zushi became "sushi for victory celebrations," and is still valued as an indispensable dish for celebratory occasions.
• 🍱Oshi zushi (Morobuta zushi)📍 Nagasaki"Morobuta zushi" is a type of pressed sushi with a long tradition in the northern region of Nagasaki Prefecture. It is said to have originated in the Muromachi period (1336-1573), when Sumikore Omura, who was defeated in battle and had his territory taken from him, made oshizushi and served it to the people of his domain to celebrate his return. It is said that the sushi was made in shallow wooden boxes called “Morobuta" at that time, and this tradition has been handed down to the present. However, Sasa-cho still has its own legend that "the Morobuta zushi is made by sandwiching the ingredients between the rice, which is in keeping with the spirit that samurai warriors should not show the inside without hesitation.
• Pasty (Chicken Pie)📍 Nagasaki"Pasty" is said to be a dish introduced by the Dutch who entered and exited Dejima during the period of Japan's isolation. The original form is introduced in the cookbook "Nanban Ryorisho" (Western Cooking Book from that time,) and a recipe close to the current one is found in the later "Shiki Ryorisho" (Four Seasons Cooking Book). The name "Pasty" in Roman letters is said to originate from either the Portuguese "Pastel," meaning pie, or "Pasta," meaning dough. Despite its Western-style appearance, Nagasaki's unique "wakaran" (Japanese, Chinese, and Western cuisine) features Chinese-influenced ingredients beneath the pie crust and a Japanese-style seasoning.
• 🍱Peanuts Tofu📍 NagasakiThe regional dish from Ojika Island in the northern part of the Goto Islands, known as "Peanut Tofu," is made by crushing locally produced peanuts, mixing them with kudzu powder, and solidifying the mixture. The history of peanut cultivation on Ojika Island dates back at least 70 years, and the peanuts nurtured by the island's distinctive red soil and sea breeze are renowned for their sweetness and richness.
• 🍜Plate Udon📍 NagasakiA specialty of Nagasaki, “plate udon” is a noodle based dish renowned throughout Japan. “Plate udon” was created in 1899 (Meiji 32) when Jun Chinhei, the owner of Chinese restaurant Shikairō which first invented the noodle dish known as “chanpon”, made chanpon without the broth. From that distinctive flavor and experience he refined the dish, which in later years would become a noodle dish renown throughout the country alongside “chanpon”. “The original plate udon” passed down uses the same thick noodles as chanpon and is essentially a chanpon stir fry. It is almost a completely different dish from the plate udon made in more recent years which uses thin, crunchy noodles and has the mix of ingredients covered in a thick sauce. The residents of Nagasaki explicitly differentiate these two, the former being referred to as “thick plate udon” and the latter as “thin plate udon.” Furthermore, the name “plate udon” comes from the fact that at the time of its inception, it was standard practice to serve noodles in a wooden or porcelain bowl or other deep vessel. The dish appearing on a plate aroused much surprise, and the name is said to stem from there.
• 🍱Rokubei📍 NagasakiA local dish that has been passed down since the Edo Period in the Shimabara and Tsushima areas. Although there are slight differences in how it's cooked, in both regions it's a dish made by kneading flour made from sweet potatoes into an udon-like shape and putting it in a broth. In the Shimabara region in 1792, Mount Mayuyama collapsed due to a volcanic earthquake, causing a large amount of earth and sand to flow into the Ariake Sea, generating a tsunami. It widely swept across the coast, ravaging entire farmlands and causing famine. The people in the area survived hunger mainly by eating sweet potatoes, which can grow even in barren land. The origin of the dish is that a man named Rokubei of Fukae Village (present-day Fukae Town, Minamishimabara City) devised an udon-like dish by mixing the powder of preserved sweet potatoes with yams, which act as a binder. This delighted many people. This is said to be the beginning of “rokubei” in Shimabara. In Tsushima the main ingredient for rokubei is sen, a preserved food made by fermenting sweet potatoes. The sweet potato is called kokoimo (filial piety) because it saved the islanders from starvation.
• Shippoku📍 NagasakiShippoku (卓袱) is a Japanese culinary style that is heavily influenced by Chinese cuisine. It has been described as a fusion cuisine and as a "hybrid cuisine" that combines elements of European, Chinese and Japanese cuisines. Meats used in shippoku cuisine include fowl, fish, and game meats. Sake typically accompanies shippoku dishes. The shippoku style of service typically includes several small dishes that comprise a full meal.
• 🍜Taishu Soba📍 NagasakiTaishu Soba refers to a variety of soba (buckwheat noodles) that has been cultivated on Tsushima, an island with a history of soba production. The term Taishu in the name refers to the former Tsushima Province. The original species of soba is believed to have originated from southern China to the Himalayas, and it is said to have been introduced to Tsushima via the Korean Peninsula during the Jomon period. Due to Tsushima being an isolated island, there has been minimal crossbreeding with different soba varieties, allowing the cultivation of soba that still retains the characteristics of its original species. In 2018, Taishu Soba was registered under the national 'Geographical Indication (GI) Protection System,' which aims to preserve the names of regional agricultural, forestry, and fishery products and foodstuffs. This registration marked the first time for Nagasaki Prefecture and the first time for soba in Japan to be recognized under this system.
• 🍚Torimeshi Chicken and Rice📍 Nagasaki"Torimeshi chicken and rice" is a mixed rice dish for refreshments and handed down in the Meshiro area of Isahaya. From a long time ago, the custom during the New Year and Bon Lantern Festival was for men at home to cut, trim, and prepare chicken that they had raised. Even now, it is basically assumed that men prepare the dish. "Torimeshi chicken and rice" is also called "toimeshi." The name "toimeshi" derives from chicken being called "toi" in the locality.
• 🍲Tsubo-jiru (tsubo soup)📍 Nagasaki"Tsubo-jiru" is a local dish of the Yukinoura district of Saikai City. Depending on the region, it is also called "Ingen-jiru" or "Tsuboki". Although its roots are not known, it has long been eaten as a vegetarian dish for Buddhist memorial services. The "Tsubo" in the name is thought to come from the fact that the bowl in which the dish is served looks like a tsubo.
• 🍱Urakamisoboro📍 NagasakiThis local dish originated in the Urakami area of Nagasaki Prefecture. It is said to have originated in the late 1500s, when Portuguese missionaries who were proselytizing Christianity in the Urakami area tried to make the believers, who were not accustomed to eating meat at that time, eat pork as a "healthy food". Later, the missionaries began to make the dish with less pork and more vegetables, and this became the basic recipe, which has been handed down to the present. Some say that the name comes from the Portuguese word "soprado (leftovers)," or from "rough chop," which means to chop the ingredients roughly.
• 🍲Yudeboshi-daikon-to kanboko-no-nimono ( Boiled and Dried Daikon Radish and Fish Cake Stew)📍 NagasakiBoiled and Dried Daikon Radish and Kanboko is a local dish of Saikai City. The combination of boiled and dried daikon radish and kanboko produces a taste unique to Nagasaki. Boiled and dried daikon radish is a preserved food made in Saikai City during the cold season. It is made by cutting Daiei Okura Daikon Radish into strips, boiling them, and then exposing them to sunlight and cold ocean breezes for one to two days in a drying area in the hollow of a cliff facing the sea. When the radish is rehydrated and cooked, it becomes a radish with a gentle flavor and less bitterness. The hollow drying field on the cliff and the scene of the drying work there are a winter tradition in Saikai City, which is well known throughout Japan. On the other hand, kanboko is Nagasaki's specialty kamaboko (fish cake). It is made from fresh horse mackerels, sardines, flying fish, and other fish from the surrounding seas, giving it a taste distinctly different from that of ordinary kamaboko (fish cake) made from sea eel, guchi, hamo, and other fish. For this reason, Nagasaki Prefecture's consumption of kamaboko (fish cake) is among the highest in Japan. Among them, deep-fried kanboko is very popular and can be eaten on its own or used as an ingredient in many dishes, including boiled and dried daikon radish and kanboko stew.
• gu-zōni📍 NagasakiGu-zoni is a traditional local dish from the Shimabara region of Nagasaki Prefecture. It is also known as Shimabara Gu-zoni.