🍲 Kiritanpo Nabe

Kiritanpo nabe is a hot pot dish in which rice cooked in a broth made from chicken bones and seasoning is then mashed and combined with vegetables. It originates from the Odate and Kazuno regions, and it is said that it began with people who retreated to the mountains for charcoal-making or logging who would cook mashed leftover rice that had been skewered and grilled with chicken and vegetables. There was a period where the essential ingredient, hinaidori, a breed of chicken native to Akita Prefecture, was designated as a national treasure and couldn't be eaten, but thanks to Hinai's mayor at the time, the crossbred hinaijidori was born, once again restoring that household taste. The meat of hinaijidori resembles the original pheasants and turtledoves in composition, and its fat is smooth, which makes for excellent pairing with "tanpo." The grilled rice on skewers resembles the head of cattails, and has come to be called "tanpo," meaning short head. "Kiritanpo" means cut "tanpo," indicating the shorter length they must be cut into in order to fit into the pot.