Keihan

A signature dish of the Amami islands layers shredded chicken, thin ribbons of egg, dried shiitake, papaya pickled in miso, and citrus peel over a bowl of plain white rice, then pours hot chicken broth over the top. As the toppings mingle with the broth, the chicken's savoriness meets the citrus aroma and the salt of the pickled papaya, coming together into a light dish you can spoon down quickly. Rice is served sparingly and the broth generously, so even the last spoonful goes down light and easy.

Chicken bones and ginger are simmered from cold water, and chicken breast is poached in the same pot to build the stock. The meat is shredded fine, shiitake and green beans are cut into thin strips, and egg is made into thin ribbons, all arranged neatly on a plate. Rice is served sparingly in the bowl, topped with the ingredients, and the broth is poured on generously. A stock simmered carefully from chicken bones is said to turn rich and full-bodied, helped along by the collagen released in the process, and for a shortcut some households simply use a store-bought chicken stock base.

While the Amami islands were under the rule of the Satsuma domain, the dish is said to have been created to entertain officials arriving from the Kagoshima mainland, using every part of chicken, a precious ingredient at the time, without waste. It was originally eaten more like a chicken rice pilaf without broth poured over it; the custom of ladling chicken stock on top reportedly spread during the Showa era and settled into the dish's present form. Today the dish is a specialty of many restaurants across the Amami area, each putting its own spin on the ingredients and the stock.