Shikou Roast Chicken

Shikou Roast Chicken

　　   Shikou Roast Chicken comes from Shikou Town, Dongying District, Dongying City. The town lies along the Yellow River, boasts beautiful scenery, and has a simple and honest local culture. Numerous production areas of the Shengli Oilfield, the second-largest oilfield in China, are densely located here. With a long history and cultural legacy, Shikou Town has long been famed as the “Hometown of Roast Chicken.” Food lovers come from far and wide to try the dish, which leaves an unforgettable aftertaste with its lingering fragrance—rivaling or even surpassing that of Dezhou Braised Chicken.

　　   Originating in Shikou Town, Dongying, Shandong, Shikou Roast Chicken is a widely renowned delicacy in northern Shandong. Located by the Yellow River and close to the Bohai Sea, Shikou Town enjoys a long history, abundant resources, diverse ingredients, and a thriving commercial scene. This roast chicken inherits traditional Shandong cuisine craftsmanship while incorporating local flavors. It is made from locally raised chicken breeds through a meticulous process including slaughtering, bloodletting, feather removal, internal organ cleaning, deodorizing, shaping, seasoning, and cooking via boiling and smoking. With its flavor profile described as “fragrant to the bone, crispy and delicious, perfectly balanced in saltiness, rich but not greasy, and nutritious for all palates,” it is immensely popular among diners.

　　   Visiting the Yellow River Estuary, enjoying the river and sea breeze, and savoring the delicious Shikou Roast Chicken is a new cultural trend of the 21st century.

　　   Production Method

　　   The making of Shikou Roast Chicken involves four steps: selecting and slaughtering the chicken, cleaning and shaping, stewing with seasonings, and roasting with brown sugar. Though seemingly simple, these steps require highly refined skills.

　　   Selecting and Slaughtering

　　   Selecting the Chicken: Authentic Shikou Roast Chicken uses live free-range chickens of a larger size, typically about one year old, rather than commercially bred broiler chickens. Broilers are raised for very short periods with heavy use of hormones and antibiotics, resulting in overly soft meat that turns mushy when stewed, feels sticky, and lacks flavor. In contrast, the taste and health value of the chicken used in Shikou Roast Chicken are self-evident.

　　   Slaughtering: For a live chicken weighing around 1500 grams, the trachea is cut to drain the blood. The chicken is then scalded in water at approximately 65°C to remove feathers, and the tough skin on the legs, beak, and claws is peeled off. Next, an incision is made from the buttocks to remove the internal organs, and the remaining blood is drained.

　　   Cleaning and Shaping

　　   The chicken’s legs are tucked up, its claws inserted into the abdomen, the right wing crossed out from the mouth, and the chicken head connected with the right wing. The neck is arched and the tip of the left wing tucked near the wing root. The finished roast chicken has a dignified yet elegant and pleasing appearance.

　　   Seasoning and Stewing

　　   Before stewing, an iron rack is placed at the bottom of the pot to prevent burning. The prepared chickens are arranged in the pot according to their age and tenderness, and seasoned broth is added to keep them submerged. The stewing process uses high heat first, then low heat, with floating oil helping to control steam. The chicken is stewed for 4 to 5 hours under constant supervision to manage the heat properly. A key secret to premium roast chicken is “for fragrant chicken, use eight spices and aged broth.” The eight spices include dried tangerine peel, cinnamon, cardamom, galangal, cloves, sandalwood, amomum, and angelica. The aged broth is the reserved liquid from previous chicken stews. Each batch must include some of the existing broth, which improves with time. The flagship Shikou Roast Chicken shop has over twenty years of history, and its aged broth is a closely guarded legacy, giving the chicken an exceptionally rich aroma. The aged broth is truly the secret and essence of this dish.

　　   Brown Sugar Roasting

　　   The well-seasoned cooked chicken is taken out, excess broth drained, and placed neatly on an iron rack set inside the pot. Brown sugar and red sugar are mixed in proportion and placed at the bottom of the pot. Heat is applied to caramelize the sugar, which roasts and colors the chicken while further infusing flavor.

　　   The final product is a high-protein, low-fat nutritious food. With an intact and attractive appearance, golden-red color, tender texture, and distinctive flavor, Shikou Roast Chicken is celebrated for its “four excellences”: color, aroma, taste, and tenderness. It also aids digestion, stimulates appetite, and benefits kidney health.

　　   Product Features

　　   Shikou Roast Chicken is rich but not greasy, with bright color and delicious taste. No knife is needed—just a shake separates the meat from the bone. Whether served hot or cold, it leaves a lingering fragrance. Even in memory, it brings watering mouths.

　　   Shikou Roast Chicken Sales

　　   There are dozens of Shikou Roast Chicken shops in Shikou Town, each with its own unique style, and the product is also sold across the city.

　　   In an era where safe, green, and trustworthy food is hard to find, Shikou Roast Chicken adheres to the principles of “safety, greenness, and health,” offering genuine culinary delights to food lovers everywhere. New and returning customers are welcome to taste and purchase.

　　   Information Source: Text/Photo by Shikou Town