Champon is a hearty noodle dish made by stir-frying vegetables, seafood such as squid or shrimp, and pork, and simmering the mixture in chicken or pork bone broth before topping it off with thick noodles. As the name—which means mixture in Japanese—implies, champon is chock full of delicious, nutritious ingredients.

The dish originated in the late 1890s when a Chinese restaurant owner from China’s Fujian Province concocted the dish to provide cheap and nutritious meals to the Chinese residents of Nagasaki. After that, Nagasaki champon spread throughout Japan, and there are now many different regional variations. Champon is served at Chinese restaurants and noodle shops, and it is also a popular dish served at home.