Raising Ukokkei in a natural environment
The best selling product at ”Kanazawa Ukkokeian” is ”Ukokkei Castella” made with “ukokkei (silkie fowl) eggs. The castella is not too sweet, moist and very rich.
Learning that ”Kanazawa Ukokkeian” breeds their “ukokkei” in a special way, we requested a visit to their facility. “Ukokkei” are said to be more difficult to breed than chicken, and they also lay fewer eggs. 1 fowl lays only about 40 to 50 eggs a year. Their coop is built adjacent to a bamboo forest and the “ukokkei” are free to roam about, pecking at worms or moving about freely.
The chicks are raised in a clean environment in a separate facility for about 250 days after hatching.
”The feed is all organic, and since we do not feed them any drugs, they need to be kept in a clean environment to avoid disease.” Kawachi, the president told us.
Eggs with a rich and thick flavor
The price of the precious eggs is 500 yen per egg. Nakata treated himself by eating raw on rice. He was surprised at how hard the shell was and how difficult it was to crack. Though the eggs are small, the yolk is large, with the rich “umami” being concentrated in the yolk. This is indeed a lavish treat.
“Ukokkei” eggs have a characteristic of being rich and thick. Therefore when whipped, the egg white becomes very fine and airy, creating a rich flavored smooth-textured castella cake. Besides their famous castella cakes, ”Kanazawa Ukokkeian” also makes both Japanese and Western sweets such as pudding, Baumkuchen, etc. They also sell side dishes made with “ukokkei” eggs and the eggs themselves.
Their products are among one of the favorites as Kanazawa souvenirs, but we highly recommend you have a taste for yourself before giving them all away.
