 |
目次 Chicken Ñative to JapanThere are many famous ”jidori” chicken. Of them all, the leading jidori is the ”Hinai Jidori”. The 3 major ”jidori” of Japan are Satsuma Jidori, Nagoya Kochin, and the Hinai Jidori. We visited ”Akita Hinaiya”, which runs many shops and restaurants serving Hinai Jidori to learn about its history and ”great taste”. Hinai Jidori, as the name suggests, is chicken that is bred in the Hinai region in northern Akita. However, ”Hinai chicken” cannot be consumed, as they are very scarce and highly valuable as a chicken native to Japan, to the extent that it is designated as Japan’s National Treasure. |
The Birth of the Hinai JidoriHinai chicken was originally known for its great taste. (However, it has not been consumed since being designated a National Treasure in 1942.) It was not fit for distribution because of its small size, minimal meat, and its low reproduction rate compared to other types of chicken. To overcome these factors, the Hinai Jidori was created. In order to keep the Hinai chicken’s positive features while raising the reproduction rate, the Road brand chicken was selected from hundreds of chicken at the Akita Livestock Experimental Farm. A male Hinai chicken and a female Road chicken were crossed to create the Hinai Jidori. There are strict requirements that need to be met to be live up to the Hinai Jidori name. For instance, Hinai Jidori must be bred in an environment with less than 5 chicken in 1 square meter after 28 days from hatching. They are certainly specially chosen chicken. |
 |
|
|
Taste approved by the worldWe visited Abe’s Hinai Jidori chicken farm where the chicken are actually bred. According to Abe, the Hinai Jidori has the longest rearing period compared to other chicken brands. For example, the Nagoya Kochin takes 120 days, where the Hinai Jidori takes another month, 150 days for a full rearing period. ”That’s why they need to be kept healthy,” Abe says. The characteristic of Hinai Jidori meat is its savory, full bodied flavor. With a firm scent similar to a pheasant, its flavor spreads the more you chew. It is also a good ingredient for ”nabe”. ”The fat is rich in flavor and therefore the soup is incomparable. The fat is also clear, probably because they get exercise.” ”Is it used in ”kiritanpo nabe”?” Nakata asks, as Akita is famous for ”kiritanpo nabe”. Abe’s reply was ”I don’t really think so, since it’s expensive.” But imagining the clear soup made with Hinai Jidori is truly inviting. Recently, Hinai Jidori is highly praised abroad, and is used in Italian and French cuisine. It is one of the many ingredients that is the pride of Japan. |
