The story
Napolitan was born at the Hotel New Grand in Yokohama, a port where many American troops were stationed during the occupation after the Second World War. The hotel's chef, Shigetada Irie, noticed servicemen eating spaghetti doused in ketchup and created a more refined version with fresh tomatoes and purée, stir-fried with ham, onion, green pepper and mushrooms, naming it after Naples. Some accounts tie its creation to General MacArthur, who stayed at the hotel. Cafés and home cooks across Japan made it simpler and sweeter with ketchup, and it became a nostalgic comfort food. The hotel still serves the original recipe.
Also known as ナポリタン, naporitan, spaghetti Napolitan, Japanese ketchup spaghetti.
On the Meridish menu
Napolitan (ketchup spaghetti) was the rice & noodles course on menu No. 20 on October 20, 2026. Its clue in the game, which hints at the place without naming it:
Spaghetti fried with ketchup, onion, green pepper and sausage. A hotel chef in this port city created it during the postwar occupation and named it after Naples.
In Meridish, every dish is pinned to the town or city most widely credited with creating it. A guess within 25 km scores all 100 points. How scoring works.
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naporitan
- yokohama-minatomirai.com/en/yokohama-tourism-yokohama-born-gourmet-en
Food history is often disputed. Think we've pinned it in the wrong place? Tell us at hello@meridish.com, ideally with a source.
