Odate City, Akita - Cultural Heritage Introduction

Discover Odate’s History

Hinaijidori Chicken

Hinaijidori Chicken (F1 Hybrid)

Hinai chickens are native fowl found in the Odate City area since at least the Edo period. They have long been a source of meat, eggs, and feathers for use in military and festival gear.

Above all else, the birds have long been prized for their delicious meat and are an integral part of the local dish: kiritampo.

The meat has the depth of flavor of wild game and produces a rich stock. The birds have long been raised in the Hinai area.

Because the Hinai chickens are relatively unproductive compared to breeds specifically bred for meat and eggs, their numbers dwindled. Sensing an imminent threat to the species, they were named a Natural

Monument of Japan in 1942 to keep their numbers steady.

Later, Hinai chickens were crossbred with a foreign species to create a variety suitable for production.

CATEGORIES

traditional-culture