is a Japanese noodle dish made with seasonal soba or udon noodles in a hot dashi soup of or chicken meat, as well as leeks or Welsh onions.岩田義人（信州生まれ、食品会社勤務後、蕎麦屋を経営）【鴨南ばん】「季節蕎麦。代表的な種物の一つ。鴨なんばんは馬喰町橋づめの笹屋など始めなり」と、『嬉遊笑覧』に記されている。『江戸見草』で、「鴨南ばん」の値段は最も高い。」英語では、（）、（ボブと花子の「Eat and Speak Soba」 - 日本麺類業団体連合会 ）などと説明的に表現される。 On its own, or simply "nanban" might be used, referring to the onions in the dish.蕎麦屋の店主が教える蕎麦のあれこれ 「蕎麦の南蛮とは？」
When chicken meat is used instead, it is then called or .
Overview
Kamo nanban is a type of and is normally found on the menu of soba restaurants. It is more expensive compared to other soba dishes like tempura soba and tempura seiro soba.
It has been reported that fatty duck meat is most delicious in the winter season. It is also served with seasonal soba, which is particularly suited to colder days.
Etymology The use of duck and scallions is the origin of the name. It is said that scallions were named after the Nanman, who arrived in Japan during the Edo period and enjoyed eating them to maintain their health.梅棹忠夫他（監修）『THE日本 日本が見える、日本が読める大事典 Visual human life』講談社, 1986年, p.453 The bulb onion used widely in European cuisine was difficult to come by in Japan until the Meiji period, and so scallions were used instead.
From another perspective, it may have been called nanban due to being a new dish. In the essay , literary and cultural scholar states that "Things of custom unusual to the past tend to be called 'nanban'".
In the Kinki region, kamo nanban is called , where "nanba" is a shifted-sound version of "nanban".小松寿雄・鈴木英夫（編）『新明解 語源辞典』三省堂, 2011年, p.254 Also, in Osaka, Welsh onions have been called "nanba" since the Edo period, with having been a famous producer of Welsh onions, but the actual connection is unknown.
At restaurants which offer both soba and udon, may be written to differentiate from , an udon dish with the same flavourings.
History , eaten with a hot soup based on soy sauce and flaked bonito, became widespread in the middle of the Edo period. The addition of duck and Welsh onions in the manner of kamo nanban is considered to have been started by the restaurant in the Shibakuro-chō area of Nihonbashi. Kamo nanban using about five one-inch pieces of Welsh onion, cut vertically and fried, then boiled with duck, is said to have met the tastes of the time and thrived.田村栄太郎『江戸時代町人の生活』雄山閣, 1966年, p.137
Also in , a work with detail of the Mores of the closing days of the Tokugawa shogunate, Kamo nanban is introduced as "Duck with onions. A specialty of winter."
The consumption of domestic ducks in Japan came about at the end of the Meiji era, before which kamo nanban solely used wild ducks.奧山益朗（編）『味覚辞典 第1巻』東京堂出版, 1972年, p.39
Ingredients Domestic ducks and wild ducks are used. Because natural wild ducks are difficult to come by, most soba restaurants use cultivated birds.古川修『蕎麦屋酒 ああ、「江戸前」の幸せ』光文社, 2004年, p.22 The juicier thigh meat and soft breast meat are used.
In the Taishō period, there were instances of rabbit meat being used.高井寿雄『蜂が飛ぶ』文芸社, 2000年, p.58 In "I am a cat", there is the expression .夏目漱石『漱石全集第一巻 吾輩は猫である』漱石全集刊行會, 1918年, p.303
For onions, long Welsh onions which suit duck are used. In some instances, they are only warmed briefly in soup before being added, but frying or roasting in sesame oil is considered to be correct.新島繁『蕎麦入門』保育社, 1992年, p.115 Cutting into 5 cm round slices is common.東海林さだお『おにぎりの丸かじり』文藝春秋, 2010年, p.63
For seasoning, chilli pepper or yuzu are used.
Instant noodles In 2003, the 'Acecook' Company released the first kamo nanban instant "cup noodle" as one of their large-portion "super cup" instant noodles.
In 2009, Nissin Foods' released a duck stock soba version of their "don hyōei" product.
In the 9th episode of the TV drama series "Kurosagi", the kamo nanban cup noodle eaten by the main character was an original version of the show.
Related dishes Kamo nuki Kamo nanban "without duck". It is enjoyed as a snack dish with alcohol. The duck meat's fragrance adds a characteristic flavour;松石昌典・加藤綾子・石毛教子・堀剛久・石田雄祐・金子紗千・竹之中優典・宮村陽子・岩田琢磨・沖谷明紘「名古屋コーチン，ブロイラーおよび合鴨肉の食味特性の比較」『日本畜産学会報』76巻, 2005年, p.429 alcohol is recommended to match the smell and flavor of broiled duck, umami of the dashi, and the high-grade fat of the duck.�古川修『蕎麦屋酒 ああ、「江戸前」の幸せ』光文社, 2004年, p.29
Kamo seiro
Cold, cooked soba eaten with a dipping sauce of duck meat and Welsh onions. It is said to have been conceived in 1963 at the Ginza Chōji-an restaurant
Kamo nanban udon Warm udon with duck and Welsh onions.
Tori nanban Similar soba dish using chicken instead of duck. Also called kashiwa udon. "Chicken nanban" is an entirely different non-noodle dish with chicken cutlets and onions.
References