Chicken liver can also be made into "sashimi" — smooth, tender, and sweet, rivaling foie gras

▲ The texture of "chicken liver sashimi" is somewhat like pudding.

Reported and photographed by reporter Huang Shiyuan / Miyazaki, Japan

In Japan, a country that loves to pursue the true flavor of food, you can find all kinds of "sashimi." The most common are tuna, salmon, and other raw fish slices, and occasionally you’ll hear about "raw horse meat" or "raw venison." In Miyazaki Prefecture in southern Kyushu, Japan, where high-quality chicken (commonly known as free-range chicken in Taiwan) is abundant, there is also a most distinctive local dish: "raw chicken."

Miyazaki chicken is renowned throughout Japan for its premium quality, not only because it belongs to the locally unique"Jidori chicken"breed, but also due to its natural free-range farming method, which allows the chickens to grow up healthy. As a result, the meat is tender, bouncy, and free from any poultry odor. It can even be eaten as "sashimi," and besides "chicken sashimi," there is also "chicken liver sashimi."


▲ Taking a bite of this super fresh "chicken liver sashimi" might require quite a bit of courage.

For Taiwanese people, who rarely eat raw food, taking a bite of this super fresh "chicken liver sashimi" might require quite a bit of courage. However, surprisingly,when dipped in sesame oil, the "chicken liver sashimi" has no fishy taste at all. Its texture is as smooth and tender as pudding, gently melting after a light bite, while the white part of the liver gives off a subtle fatty sweetness.Chen Da-ge, who was with us, said it’s not inferior to foie gras at all.

In addition, the texture and flavor of "chicken breast sashimi" are also unexpectedly delightful, feeling almost like eating sashimi. When dipped in the "yuzu citrus sauce" provided by the shop, it brings out the natural sweetness of the chicken. Most importantly, the raw chicken has absolutely no fishy smell.

 ▲ "Chicken breast sashimi."

Hirokazu Kuroki, the owner of the yakitori restaurant "Kokoromiya," pointed out that the Jidori chickens they use are raised for over 4–5 months. They are not given any growth hormones or antibiotics, and the chickens prepared at the restaurant each evening are all freshly slaughtered in the morning, ensuring absolute freshness — which is essential for making sashimi.

Yakitori restaurants like "Kokoromiya" can be found every 3–5 steps on the streets of Miyazaki City. There are hundreds of such shops across the entire city. Most of these establishments are known for their grilled chicken, which is quickly roasted over a fierce flame ignited by the chicken’s own fat. Although the outside may be slightly charred, the meat remains tender, making it hard to stop eating one piece after another.

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