The word “jidori” in Japanese means locally produced free-range chicken in each area of Japan.

It is an old-fashioned name and sounds like that the local chicken is really traditional strain kept in restricted area for long times, therefor, Japanese restaurant owners and farmers want to call it jidori to obtain much more profit.

However, you know that not of all jidori brands advertised in Japan are really traditional strain with delicious taste.

Actually, some of the strain was newly generated from the progeny strain of various local chicken from various region of Japan, in addition, sometimes bred with Korean or Chinese strain.

Here I will write about Aizu Jidori, which is one of the most famous and traditional jidori in Japan north area.

Aizu area is very famous as the place where Heike family and followers who were occupying western half of Japan for 200 years and the lost it at country-wide Samurai conflict in 12th century.

Aizu jidori is orally traditional chickens taken by Heike family from the capital city Kyoto to Aizu at that period and said to be handed down to now.

But in literature, the first one describing about Aizu jidori is found in a reference written in 1570s.

It is written in the reference that Aizu jidori feathers are very important decoration of the wears used in spring time festival “Aizu Higan-jishi festival” in Aizu area.

Yes, you can enjoy that traditional festival in March, and you can confirm that a lot of beautiful Aizu jidori feathers are used in traditional wears of dancers.

This is the reason why we believe the Aizu jidori is really traditional local chicken, at least 400 years history, and may inherit old taste for 800 years.

To be honest, when this Aizu jidori was recognized its value and researched in 1987, there were only a few numbers of birds kept in a few small farms.

So the investigators in chicken farming centers of Fukushima prefecture intensively took care of expansion of Aizu jidori number for 10 years, and thanks to them, now we can enjoy Aizu jidori taste in many restaurants.

You are suspicious about that are those chickens kept in a few farms were really the direct progeny of Aizu jidori, aren’t you? Don’t mind about that.

There are another famous jidori in the south side of Japan, Satsuma jidori, and the genomic DNA of both strain were sequenced and compared to each other, and were proven to be quite different ancestor chickens they derived from.

Yes, we Japanese are somehow paranoiac about the tradition or blood purity, probably because we give priority on the family than individuals .

Now these Aizu jidori is kept in large breeding farms in country side of Aizu, just like as they were in hills and fields in ancient days, a lot of natural exercise, appropriate time sun-bathing, natural foods and may have no stress.

Thanks to the farmers’ effort to keep Aizu jidori in organic style, we can enjoy Aizu jidori taste robably almost the same or better condition than 400 years ago.

In most famous Aizu jidori producing center Mishima town, the jidori farmers ship chickens at 120 days within a few days delay.

A hundred and 20 days are twice longer than the feeding time of broiler chicken usually kept until shipping.

There is a reason why, because the balance of the glutamic acid and inosinic acid in chicken meat is the best at 110-130 days old.

The glutamic acid and inosinic acid are known to affect the taste of meat synergistically better if those amino acids are included rich in the meat in good balance, and the best balance ratio developing timing was clarified to be 110-130 days by Fukushima chicken farming center.

Different from broiler chicken kept in small cages for 60 days without exercise, Aizu jidori grow in a large field with natural exercise and organic foods under the sun.

Such a breeding style presents you the best hardness and good smell of chicken meat when you put them into your mouth in Aizu jidori restaurants.

Good taste and good appearance with beautiful feather color, Aizu jidori is one of the best chicken you can find in Japan.I am very grateful to the staffs of chicken farming centers of Fukushima prefecture!

Do you love Japanese food? The funny thing about Japanese food is that you either love it or you hate it. There is no in-between. And chances are, if you hate it, you probably haven’t really tasted Japanese food yet or haven’t given yourself a chance to sample it enough. Japanese food is hard to appreciate after only one bite. And sometimes, the idea that you are tasting raw food just won’t escape your mind that you are already predisposed to hating Japanese food even before you actually taste it.

Personally, I love Japanese food. There really is no other cuisine like it in the world in terms of its unique taste and presentation. Who would believe that something so raw could be so delicious? For those of you who have not yet discovered the pleasures of Japanese food, allow me to present the following primer.

The standard Japanese meal always involves a bowl of white rice as well as soup and side dishes such as pickles, vegetables, meat and fish. Japanese food is classified by the number of viands or “okazu” that are served with the rice, soup and side dishes. A meal with one okazu is called ichiju-issai and a prime example of this is the traditional Japanese breakfast which consists of miso soup, rice, grilled fish and one pickled vegetable.

The regular Japanese meal usually involves three okazu to go along with the soup, rice and pickles. Traditionally, each of these three okazu are cooked in a different way from the others. They can either be served raw or grilled, simmered, steamed or deep fried.

Another hallmark of Japanese food is seafood, which is the most popular and most widely consumed food in Japan. The most popular dishes include all types of fish as well as shellfish, squid and octopus. Crab is another favorite delicacy and so are whale and seaweed. Despite the fact that Japanese are not heavy meat eaters, you will hardly find any vegetarians among them either probably owing to their deep fashion for seafood. Beef and chicken are also popular among the Japanese.

Japanese food, once little more than a niche occupant in the greater scope of American cuisine, has become increasingly popular in recent years. The harmony of flavors and lightness emphasized in the typical Japanese dish appeals to the palettes of many in the United States, where heavy and often deep fried foods have long dominated the market. Many people remain reluctant about exploring this aspect of ethnic cuisine, however, for fear that they’ll find something on their plate which appears as though it came from the Iron Chef. This is far from the truth! The intent of this article is to introduce readers to a variety of different Japanese dishes, that they might go out and try something new without fear of what they’ll be eating.

Domburi: This dish is quite simply a bowl of rice adorned with some sort of topping. A variety of toppings are popular in Japan, many of which have successfully migrated across the Pacific and into American restaurants. One example of this dish is oyakodon, which uses both chicken and egg for its topping. Another sort of domburi, gyudon, is beefy in flavor and more popular in Japan as fast food. Those of you who are especially outgoing tasters might like to sample unadon, a type of domburi wherein strips of grilled eel coated in a thick soya sauce are used to top the rice bowl.

Ramen: This soup dish has been a staple of the American college student’s diet for years. Wildly popular around the world, ramen is to the Japanese what a burger and fries are to your average United States native. Ramen comes in a variety of bases and is best recognized for its long, slender noodles. Complimenting these noodles are such ingredients as dumplings, pork, miso (fermented soybeans) and soya sauce. It’s interesting to note that ramen originated in China, rather than Japan, but the dish is almost always associated with the latter source nowadays.

Sashimi: This dish is often mistaken for sushi by those still new to the realm of Japanese cuisine. Although it is often presented artistically, the fact remains that sashimi is raw fish, a truth which turns the stomach of many a squeamish American. Several types of sashimi are served, the most popular of which is probably tuna. Diners should be lend particular attention to the scent when partaking of this dish. The fish used to prepare sashimi must be exceptionally fresh and as such, it should be devoid of any fishy scent.

Sushi: Perhaps the most well-recognized of all Japanese dishes, sushi has become particularly popular in trendy regions of the United States. It is served in too many variations to list completely in the space of this article. To be considered sushi, however, the dish must contain rice that has been prepared with sushi vinegar. The most recognized form of sushi is probably norimaki, or sushi rolls. These rolls contain sushi rice and various sorts of seafood rolled in sheets of dried seaweed. Norimaki often includes vegetables, as well.

Tempura: This dish has also become quite popular within Japan and across the globe. Tempura is something of a finger food, consisting of differing types of seafood and/or vegetables fried in a special batter. The end result is a delightful treat which is crisp without being heavy, as is often the case with deep fried cuisine in America. The ingredients featured in tempura are too numerous to possibly list and often vary wildly from one restaurant to the next.

The five dishes listed above should provide the novice gourmand with a particularly tasty introduction to the world of Japanese cuisine. Enjoy!