Hakata Jidori

"Hakata Jidori" is meat of a jidori (homebred chicken) characterized by high inosinic acid content, which gives umami, tasty flavor and springy, crunchy texture.
　It keeps its shape even when cooked long, such as in stews, and is highly graded as an ingredient that suits the local cuisine of Fukuoka Prefecture, such as "mizutaki ⁽¹⁾" and "gameni ⁽²⁾".

Chicks of "Hakata Jidori" are produced by breeding special cocks for producing "Hakata Jidori", which was bred from local breeds such as gamecock, and Plymouth Rock hens.
　The chicks are grown in farms until the age of about 80 days. On and after the 28th day, they are raised on floor level within a chicken coop (up to 10 chicks per square meter).
　In all member farms, the chicks are fed with the same specific feed, which contains the necessary metabolic energy value and crude protein content appropriate to each growth stage.

The producing area has a long history of poultry farming. Historically, "Hakata Jidori" was developed as chicken meat suitable for "mizutaki" and "gameni", which originated in Fukuoka City and became representative local dishes of Fukuoka Prefecture.
　In the area, the original form of the current breeding style was completed in 1987 under the goal of "producing chicken meat demanded by the people of the prefecture, which is most suitable for mizutaki, etc., rich, tasty and crunchy". The next year, it was decided to adopt a production and trade name that begins with "Hakata". Ever since, the entire community has been working together on improving the breeding style and so on.
　Shipments are increasing year by year with 556,000 chickens in FY 2017. Overseas sales have also started, and about 3,000 chickens were exported in FY 2017 to Hong Kong.

1. Mizutaki is a Japanese one-pot dish and cooks ingredients in (hot) water to which no flavor is added. The history and cooking method differ depending on region, but chicken is most widely used in Kyushu.
2. Gameni is a representative local dish of Fukuoka Prefecture. After stir-frying all ingredients, soup stock and condiments are added, and it is stewed until the vegetables become soft. It is widely served on holidays, such as New Year, festivals, and weddings.