Chicken Nanban is one of Miyazaki Prefecture’s best-known local dishes and has become popular throughout Japan. It is made by coating chicken in batter, deep-frying it, and then tossing the freshly fried meat in a sweet-and-sour sauce while it is still hot. It is traditionally served with a generous topping of tartar sauce.
The version of Chicken Nanban that is now widely enjoyed, with tartar sauce poured over the chicken, is said to have been developed by Yoshimitsu Kai of the restaurant Ogura, which opened in 1956 (Showa 31).
There are several theories about the origin of the name “Nanban.” The most widely accepted explanation is that the dish was inspired by Nanban-zuke, a traditional Japanese preparation in which fish is marinated in a sweet-and-sour sauce.
Nobeoka City in Miyazaki Prefecture, regarded as the birthplace of Chicken Nanban, has been promoting the dish throughout Japan as a local specialty, with the city and its community working together to share its appeal.
The combination of freshly fried chicken, tangy-sweet sauce, and creamy tartar sauce makes this dish a distinctive taste of Miyazaki. Visitors can enjoy it at restaurants throughout the prefecture.