Shaxi Free-Range Chicken

Shaxi Free-Range Chicken

　　　Shaxi free-range chicken has delicious, tender meat, and its unique cooking method has made the plain-boiled chicken highly acclaimed in Zhongshan, earning it a spot as one of the “Three Dishes of Shaxi.” The chickens used typically weigh around 2 to 3 jin (1–1.5 kg). After plucking, they are blanched in water several times and then plunged into ice water to firm up the flesh. They are then seasoned with minced ginger, soy sauce, and other condiments, which diners dip the chicken into while eating. This chicken has a crisp skin, tender and smooth texture, and a rich chicken flavor, making it especially popular among locals in Zhongshan and food lovers in Hong Kong and Macau. The plain-boiled chicken from restaurants such as Gaolao Restaurant and Shengshi Market Restaurant is particularly well-regarded.

　　Free-range chickens are mostly raised by rural families. Initially, they are fed a mix of feed and millet until they reach about 1 jin (0.5 kg) in weight, after which their diet is switched to grains, rice bran, leafy vegetables, or they are allowed to forage freely in the fields, eating grass seeds and small insects.

　　Free-range chickens grow in a natural environment and consume only natural foods, so the quality of the eggs they produce is naturally better. In contrast, the eggs produced by conventional poultry farms—commonly referred to as “commercial eggs”—are laid by specialized egg-laying breeds and fed artificial feed, potentially offering lower nutritional value than those of free-range chickens. As a result, even though they are much more expensive, many people still prefer to buy free-range chicken eggs, especially for the elderly, pregnant women, and children.