Jidori chicken is raised with a lot of time and effort in each region. In Tochigi Prefecture, there is only one type of jidori, Tochigi-shamo, and only one farmer in Kanuma City is engaged in its production. It has been about 30 years since the birth of Tochigi-shamo. We visited Ms. Hisako Ishizawa, the representative of Tochigi Shamo Processing Plant, the only producer in Tochigi Prefecture.
What is Tochigi Shamo, the only locally raised chicken in Tochigi Prefecture?
The Tochigi Shamo is a breed developed by the Tochigi Prefectural Livestock Experiment Station in 1995, after about 10 years of research since 1986, in an attempt to create the prefecture’s only jidori chicken. The breed was born through three-way crossbreeding, in which a male Prenoir breed native to France was crossed with a female Rhode Island Red breed native to the United States, and the mother was crossed with a Gundori (military chicken).
The Tochigi-shamo has inherited the characteristics of the Prenoir breed, which is valued in French cuisine for its tender, fine-textured meat with low fat content, and the domestically produced Gundori, which has the richness and strong umami of chicken meat.
Grown over time on a spacious, nature-rich farm.
Tochigi Shamo Farm is located in Kanuma City, Tochigi Prefecture. Although the city is located about 30 minutes by car from Utsunomiya City, the prefectural capital, 70% of the city is covered with forests, and there is abundant underground water from the Nikko Mountains.
Tochigi-shamo, which are raised free-range on spacious farms in such a rich natural environment, are raised for as long as 140 days. The typical broiler chickens you see in supermarkets take about 50 days from birth to shipment, so it takes two to three times longer to grow chickens than that.
In addition, the company uses the “flat-feeding” method, in which chickens are kept free-range on a large farm. Chickens raised in this environment, which allows them to run around in a large area, have well-developed muscles, and this leads to meat that is more satisfying to eat and has a stronger umami flavor.
However, free-range chicken rearing, which has many advantages in terms of flavor, also has its challenges.
Because the chickens are free to move around the premises, strong chickens eat a lot of food and grow up quickly.
For this reason, Mr. Ishizawa staggers the shipping period from 120 days for the earliest chickens to 160 days for the latest chickens, and determines the timing of shipment to avoid inconsistencies in meat quality. Although it is time-consuming to determine the degree of growth of each individual fish, it is an important factor in the distribution of tasty “Tochigi-shamo.
The feed is original, made from rice and soybeans grown in Tochigi and blended in-house. Mr. Ishizawa says, “We sometimes feel hard hit by soaring prices, but we cannot change the feed because it affects the quality of the meat. There is no compromise in the way the Tochigi-shamo is raised in order to preserve its delicious taste.
In-house production from breeding to processing and sales
The predecessor of “Tochigi Shamo Processing Plant” was “Shinichi Ishizawa Shamo Farm” started by Shinichi Ishizawa’s father. It was established in 1996, the year after the Tochigi Shamo was developed at the prefectural livestock experiment station in 1995, and like today, it not only raised Tochigi Shamo, but also processed and sold them.
In producing Tochigi Shamo, the company initially received chicks supplied by the Livestock Experiment Station, but in 2010 (Heisei 22), the poultry research department decided to withdraw from the business. Mr. Ishizawa’s farm now handles all breeding.
However, chicks with small bodies are very delicate. I was very sorry when the chicks died when ventilation was delayed during hot weather…. It was very painful… I strongly felt that I wanted to prevent the same thing from happening again,” says Mr. Ishizawa. The recent hot summers have also reduced the number of eggs laid by the parent birds, which shows how difficult it is to raise such delicate creatures as chickens.
Processed by hand without additives
In 2018, he changed the company name to “Tochigi Shamo Processing Plant” and took over the business in earnest.
As for processing, everything is done by hand without using any additives. In particular, their smoked meat, which is marinated in an original formula for two days and smoked with local wild cherry trees, is a popular product. Each part of the meat, such as the breast, thigh, liver, and gizzard, is also available for sale.
Fresh meat is sold to yakitori restaurants and creative restaurants in and outside of the prefecture. The meat is shipped fresh and chilled the same day it is processed. In addition, the company participates in department store events and local events to demonstrate sales, conducts mail-order sales through its own website, and sells directly at its processing plant.
In 2022, the “Tochigi Agricultural Girls Project,” to which Ms. Ishizawa belongs, and the Hachisu Seminar of Toyo University’s Faculty of Business Administration collaborated to develop and sell a menu at Toyo University’s cafeteria to promote the appeal of Tochigi Shamo roe and other prefectural ingredients.
Tochigi-shamo roe is not fussy and does not have a strong flavor,” said Hachisu, ”but it can be served with other ingredients. But when combined with other ingredients, they do not interfere with each other, yet the eggs have a strong flavor. I was happy to hear the students say, “The taste is totally different from other eggs! It made me realize that I have to work even harder.
Steady promotion activities to increase the number of fans
While there are many “Shamo” type local chickens in Japan, such as the famous “Nagoya Cochin” and “Hinai Jidori,” “Tochigi Shamo” is still in its infancy in terms of name recognition. That is why Mr. Ishizawa not only produces and sells Tochigi-shamo, but also values the opportunity to make it more palatable.
He opens a store at festivals and other events, where he sells yakitori and other items. At first, they were seen as ordinary “yakitori” and sales were not good. However, as they continued to participate, more and more people became aware of the quality of their products, and recently, some people are buying them in bulk.
In terms of “raising awareness,” this may be just a small step.
Nevertheless, it is still a small step in terms of “raising the profile” of the product. And they are also engaged in dialogue with their consumers. One cannot help but feel the strength of Mr. Ishizawa’s desire to convey the charm of each and every chicken he carefully raises.
Delicious Tochigi Shamo at home!
Tochigi-shamo has a muscular and moderately resilient chewiness, which is a big attraction, but it requires some cooking tips to make it even more delicious, he says. According to Mr. Ishizawa, the most important thing is to cook it slowly. Not only Tochishamo, but also other muscular chicken meat should be cooked slowly at a low temperature to prevent it from becoming tough even when it cools down.
Ishizawa also says, “The chicken is fatty during the cold season, so I would be happy if you could finish off the umami-infused soup by cooking it in mizutaki (broth with water). He was beaming from start to finish as he talked about delicious ways to eat chicken. This is the expression of his love for his chickens.
Keeping “Tochigi Shamo” alive
In fact, Mr. Ishizawa was not the only farmer who originally produced “Tochigi Shamo,” but the time and effort required for breeding and the Corona disaster became a headwind, and other farmers withdrew from production. Only one company, Tochigi Shamo Processing Plant, remained.
The Tochigi Shamo, which is descended from the rough-tempered war chicken, is very strong and can injure itself if pecked with its beak or kicked with its claws. They are also easily startled by loud noises and movements, so one must be careful how they behave. Mr. Ishizawa, who has been doing this job for a long time, still laughs, saying, “It is not easy to raise Tochigi-shamo. Still, he continues to work with them because “Tochigi-shamo is really tasty, and we must not lose it! I can’t lose it!” His voice is strong as he continues to work at the business.
He says that the challenge is that he has not been able to market Tochigi shamo to all the restaurants, but through encounters with buyers from restaurants and retailers who visit his booth at events, he has gradually been able to increase the number of opportunities for people to get to know the taste. He is also enthusiastic, saying, “I want people to want to try it again after they have had it several times.
Ishizawa’s son is now also involved in production, and he laughs, “I want to protect Tochigishamo, so I do it even while fighting with my son.
The Tochigishamo, which weighs about 4 kilograms and cluck loudly, becomes docile when held by Mr. Ishizawa. I still have to be more diligent,” he said, as he gazed at the chickens. Mr. Ishizawa’s eyes and voice are warm and gentle as he gazes at the chickens in his arms, as if he were looking at a child.
The environment in which the chickens are raised, the feed they are fed, and many other things have gone through trial and error before reaching the present day. What has never changed, however, is the deep, abiding love he pours into his chickens. One cannot help but feel that this love is at the root of the deliciousness of Tochigi Shamo.
