We tried out the delicious local chicken and the popular Kawamata Shamo chicken!

Nowadays, local chickens can be found all over the country, but one that has caught the attention of many chefs for its delicious flavor is Kawamata Shamo, a local chicken from Fukushima.
This time, we will explore the appeal of Kawamata Shamo, a product certified by Fukushima Prefecture.

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What kind of chicken is Kawamata Shamo?

Kawamata Shamo, a specialty of Kawamata Town, Date County, Fukushima Prefecture, is a breed that was born out of a spirit of hospitality, according to the Kawamata Town Agriculture Promotion Corporation, which is the organization that oversees it, and which wants people to "nourish their minds and bodies with the finest ingredients that can only be found in the countryside."

After extensive research in search of a tastier chicken, the current Kawamata Shamo was born by crossing a purebred female Shamo with a male Red Cornish (chicken), and then crossbreeding the resulting male with a female Rhode Island Red (chicken).
These beautiful brown, robust chickens are raised free-range on Shamo farms in Kawamata Town, blessed with clean air and pure water, and are raised in a relaxed environment for more than twice as long as regular broilers.

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Eh, what? I even tried some rare cuts!

If you want to enjoy Kawamata Shamo chicken prepared by a professional, you should visit "Hifumi" in Fukushima City.
With the catchphrase "The best specialty store in the prefecture that takes Kawamata Shamo seriously," you have no choice but to go!

Looking at the menu, it seems that Kawamata Shamo can be enjoyed in various ways, such as grilled skewers, hotpots, and individual dishes, and there are also courses available.
However, to truly appreciate the essence of Kawamata Shamo, we decided that a simple grilled skewers would be best.
So, "Please grill all kinds of Kawamata Shamo!"

While I was waiting for the food to be cooked, I was told that the meat was grilled over the highest quality binchotan charcoal and that the salt was extracted from a 200 million year old Texas salt bed. Then, as an appetizer, the "Chamole Liver Pate" arrived. It
looked delicious, and it was. I'd already drank more than half a glass of wine by this point.

This is where the skewers start

• Main meat: firm texture and powerful flavor. This is Kawamata Shamo!
• The skin is baked to remove all the fat, leaving it crispy and fragrant
• Chicken wings: The meat underneath the skin is so tender, you'll want to suck it right down to the bone
• Gizzards: "They're quite tough," as they say, but they're delicious
• Liver: Grilled to perfection, it's both tender and fragrant
• The buttocks are oozing with oil. But what's surprising is that the oil isn't greasy
• Tsukimi Tsukune: Although it is well seasoned, the taste of the meat is not overpowered by it
• Because they are raised for a long time, the cartilage is large. One piece is the equivalent of five chickens

From here on, we have limited quantities of rare cuts of meat on skewers, so we recommend making a reservation

• It is said to be the muscle at the base of the leg, and has a unique elasticity and a rich flavor
• Shoulder meat: Meat from around the shoulder blade. It has a texture that combines the best of thigh and breast
• Gizzard fin I didn't know you could eat this part! And it's so delicious!
• Skirt steak diaphragm. It has a soft texture and is slightly sweet when you chew it
• Neck: A rich flavor seeps out from the moderately chewy texture
• Heart: Three hearts per skewer. The sauce "specially for hearts" goes really well with it
• Heart: The joint between the heart and liver has a squishy texture. This makes 5 chicken pieces
• Grilled chicken fillet: Crispy on the outside and rare on the inside. A perfect match
• This is the testicles of a gamecock. They're soft and fluffy and have a rich flavor...I want to eat about 10 of them!

It's truly blissful to enjoy perfectly prepared, fresh Kawamata Shamo chicken, cooked to perfection.
The owner, Hironori Sato, is not only extremely knowledgeable about Kawamata Shamo, but you can also sense his deep feelings for the animal through his words.

Sato-san said, "I think Kawamata Shamo is a chicken that can be cooked in any way, whether it's boiled, grilled or fried, and it tastes delicious." In addition to skewers, I really wanted to try fried chicken, Shamo minced meat, and Kawamata Shamo oyakodon, which is made using techniques directly taught to me by Tamahide in Ningyocho, Nihonbashi, but I was already full

But even though I ate quite a lot, I didn't feel heavy. This may also be the charm of Kawamata Shamo.
Within an hour after eating, a new idea came to mind: "Next time, I'll have a few grilled skewers as an appetizer, and the hot pot as the main course. Maybe I'll finish with an oyakodon?"

INFORMATION

name	Shamo and Wine Shop Hifumi
location	1F Ishiyakoji Building, 2-18 Omachi, Fukushima City
telephone number	024-522-1455
Official URL	http://www.hifumi-syamo.com//a>
GOOGLE MAP

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If you want to buy Kawamata Shamo, come to Kawamata! We can also order popular items

All types of Kawamata Shamo meat and processed products can be purchased at the Kawamata Roadside Station.
In addition, although the selection is limited, you can also order them from the Kawamata Town Agriculture Promotion Corporation's online shop, Jidori-ya Honpo.

The Kawamata Shamo corner at Roadside Station Kawamata offers a wide variety of fresh meats, as well as flavorful smoked meats ranging from chicken fillets and livers to whole chickens, hot pot sets, roast chicken, jerky, and more. You'll be surprised at how many products there are just for Kawamata Shamo. You can also try freshly fried Shamo minced meat

These are the Kawamata Shamo chicken "skin offal" and "liver bowl ingredients" that I bought at the "Kawamata Roadside Station." Both are apparently new products, but they were quite delicious

Other dishes include smoked fish and gizzard ajillo, which are perfect as snacks to go with alcohol, and when I tried making chicken cutlet using chicken breast, it turned out to have a rich flavor similar to that of chicken thigh, which was very satisfying

In fact, while looking at raw Kawamata Shamo meat at the store, I was saying, "Unlike regular chicken, it has less subcutaneous fat and the meat is darker in color," when someone said, "A whole bird can be used in a variety of dishes, is very filling, and you can make soup out of it, so it's a good deal," and my ambition was awakened.
Hold on, Kawamata Shamo! Next time, I'll cook a whole bird.

INFORMATION

name	Kawamata Roadside Station
location	13-1 Tsuruzawa Higashi, Kawamata-machi, Date-gun, Fukushima Prefecture
telephone number	024-566-5253
Official URL	http://f-road.info/eki-menu/eki/kawamata/
GOOGLE MAP

INFORMATION

name	Jidori-ya Honpo (Online store of Kawamata Town Agriculture Promotion Corporation)
Official URL	http://kawamata-shamo.com/

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You should definitely try the deliciousness of Kawamata Shamo

Kawamata Shamo is not greasy, has a pleasant texture but is not hard, and the more you chew it, the more rich its flavor becomes. Be sure to give it a try!

Also, every August, the Kawamata Shamo Festival in Kawamata is held, where the world's longest whole roasted Kawamata Shamo chicken is also held, so be sure to remember that too

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