🍱 Jidori no Miso Korobakashi

In Miyazaki prefecture, locally raised chicken meat is called “jitokko.” This local chicken has been raised in the foothills of Mount Kirishima covering Miyazaki and Kagoshima prefectures for many years. The name of the chicken is said to have originated in the Edo period when chicken farmers gifted the delicious chicken meat to the feudal lord. “Jitokko” were only raised in small numbers which made them special and in 1943, they were designated as a natural monument by the Japanese government. In 1985, the Miyazaki Prefectural Livestock Experiment Station Kawaminami Branch began the development of locally raised chicken meat named “Miyazaki Jidori.” In 1998, Miyazaki prefecture collaborated with Kumamoto and Oita prefectures to develop a new type of chicken named “ Kyushu Road.” This chicken was used for crossbreeding to complete “Miyazaki Jidori” and make it a chicken that lays many eggs and has beautiful colored feathers. In 2004, the chicken was renamed from “Miyazaki Jidori” to “Miyazaki Jitoko” and in 2010, the prefecture decided that February 10th of each year would be a day to celebrate “Miyazaki Jitoko.” This is how it became a famous brand of the prefecture. Local people have enjoyed eating dishes using locally raised chicken meat for many years. “Jidori no miso koro bakashi” is a traditional homemade dish and the words “koro bakashi” means to boil and roll the chicken meat in a pot in the local dialect of the western part of the prefecture. This dish has been passed down for generations and the way it is prepared, and the ingredients used depend on the family that makes it.