Kashiwa Sukiyaki is a local dish of Nara Prefecture, listed among the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' 'Our Local Cuisine' collection, made using chicken instead of beef. In the Kansai region, chicken meat for eating is called 'kashiwa,' a name said to derive from the way the bird's brownish feathers resemble the color of oak (kashiwa) leaves. Because the guardian deity of Tenmangu shrines is said to be a bull, chicken sukiyaki rather than beef sukiyaki has traditionally been served at the celebratory autumn festival for Tenjin-san, and the dish has since been made at home to celebrate special occasions and to entertain guests. Today it is often made with 'Yamato Nikudori,' a breed of chicken developed by Nara Prefecture to recreate the flavor of the pre-war 'Yamato Kashiwa,' prized for its rich, savory taste and well-balanced marbling. It is typically eaten dipped in raw or onsen (soft-poached) egg, and finishing the pot with Miwa somen noodles is also a popular way to enjoy it.
Origin
In the Kansai region, chicken is called 'kashiwa,' and one theory holds that this comes from the way the bird's brownish feathers resemble the color of oak (kashiwa) leaves. Because the guardian deity of Tenmangu shrines is said to be a bull, chicken sukiyaki is said to have come to be eaten in place of beef sukiyaki at the celebratory autumn festival dedicated to Tenjin-san.
History
This dish has been passed down in households throughout Nara Prefecture as a 'hare no hi' (special-occasion) dish for celebrations and entertaining guests. Before the war, it was renowned as 'Yamato Kashiwa' for the quality of its meat; to revive that flavor, Nara Prefecture developed the local chicken breed 'Yamato Nikudori' through trial and error, and it is now widely used in today's kashiwa sukiyaki.
Features
This sukiyaki is made by simmering chicken, napa cabbage, shirataki noodles, grilled tofu, leek, shiitake mushrooms, and Yamato kikuna (a local variety of garland chrysanthemum) in a sweet soy-based broth (warishita), and dipping the ingredients in beaten raw or onsen egg before eating. It is enjoyed year-round but is most often made for celebrations and hospitality, and finishing the sukiyaki by adding Miwa somen noodles is a distinctly Nara way of eating it.
Main Ingredients
Food Culture
Using chicken instead of beef is the defining feature of Nara's sukiyaki culture, and the dish has long been enjoyed at home as a 'hare no hi' dish for celebrations and to entertain guests. Ways of enjoying it alongside other Nara specialties are also seen, such as finishing the pot with Miwa somen noodles.
Famous Shops
大和肉鶏 613
奈良県橿原市北八木町
A specialty shop for Yamato Nikudori chicken. The chicken sukiyaki course costs around 5,000 yen (for 2 or more, 5 dishes).
View details →