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Niwatori Jiru ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

  • Oita Prefecture

    Niwatori Jiru

Niwatori Jiru

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  • Main lore areas

    Bungo-Oono Area

  • Main ingredients used

    Chicken, gobou (=burdock), shiitake mushroom, Japanese leek

  • History/origin/related events

    In Oita Prefecture, which is one of the top purchasers of chicken meat per household per year in Japan, local dishes using chicken meat have long been eaten. "Niwatori Jiru" was a feast when chicken meat was once a precious commodity. Whenever there was a celebration or a guest was invited, the chicken was first slaughtered, and the meat and entrails were used for "Tori meshi" or "game-ni", and the rest of the chicken bones was used for "Niwatori Jiru".
    The broth is made from the chicken bones as well as the meat, so there is no waste and the ingredients can be enjoyed to the fullest. Along with "Niwatori Jiru", "Tori meshi" is another chicken dish. This is a rice dish with stewed chicken, Gobou(=Burdock), carrots, and other ingredients mixed in. The leftover pieces of meat and entrails from making "Tori meshi" are sometimes used for "Niwatori Jiru". For this reason, "Tori meshi" and "Niwatori Jiru" were often made as a set.

  • Opportunities and times of eating habits

    It was an indispensable feast for Obon, New Year's, festivals, and other gatherings. A little while ago, some families used to keep chickens under the porch with nets stretched around the edge of the house in preparation for the festivities. "Tori meshi" was often made with the meat of the parent bird, which no longer lays eggs, and this trend led to the use of the meat of the parent bird in "Niwatori Jiru". In order to recreate the taste of those days, many local residents buy the meat of the parent chickens instead of the young chickens that are generally available. In some cases, the chicken meat is chopped into small pieces, as the surplus scraps of meat were used in the days. Compared to the tender meat of young chickens, the meat of parent chickens is firmer and more flavorful, with a rich fatty taste.

  • How to eat

    Chicken cut into bite-sized pieces, Gobou(=Burdock), dried shiitake mushrooms, and Japanese leek are lightly sauteed, then added to a clear soup stock made from kombu (kelp) and left to simmer before eating.
    It is sometimes served with yuzu kosho (Japanese citrus fruit pepper) or kabosu peel. It can also be served with somen noodles, udon noodles, or cold rice, and can be arranged as ojiya (rice gruel).

  • Efforts for Preservation and Succession

    (Outline of the traditions, the preservation society, social media use, modern approaches at commercialization)
    It is also made at home, in local restaurants, and because it is soft and easy to eat, it is on the menus of school lunches and nursing homes. Although it is not served as often as it was a decade ago, it is still eaten at home. Municipalities are also trying to pass on the taste by including it in school lunch menus. Local manufacturers have developed retort-packaged "Niwatori Jiru" and are working to bring the local taste to the rest of the country.

source : Oita Prefecture Dietary Improvement Promotion Council

RECIPE

Ingredients (4 servings)

  • Chicken meat 150g
  • Gobou(=burdock) 1.5
  • Dashi (=Japanese soup stock) (made from chicken bones) 600cc
  • Oil 1 tbsp.
  • Sugar 1 tbsp.
  • Mirin (=sweet rice wine) 1／2 tbsp.
  • Sake 2 tbsp.
  • Soy sauce 2 tbsp.

How to cook

  • 1. Cut chicken into 1 cm cubes.

  • 2. Shaved gobou (=burdock) and soak in water to remove scum.

  • 3. Heat oil in a pan and fry chicken.

  • 4. When chicken changes color, add gobou (=burdock) and saute.

  • 5. Add Dashi and remove scum carefully. When the ingredients are tender, season with seasonings.

provider : "Oita's local cuisine that we want to preserve for the next generation"

Recipes vary depending on the region and home.

Contact

Food Cultures Office, Overseas Market Development and Food Cultures Division, Food Industry Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Tel:+81-3-3502-5516

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