Protected local food
Tokyo Shamo Chicken
東京しゃも
A firm, flavourful chicken from Tokyo, bred from the shamo gamecocks kept around the city since the Edo era. Three quarters shamo, with a satisfying chew.
Key facts
- Registered as a protected name
- 8 May 2019
- Region
- Kanto
- Official name in Japanese
- 東京しゃも
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 東京都
Three quarters gamecock
Shamo is a tall Japanese gamecock with dense, well-muscled meat. Tokyo Shamo is bred by crossing selected shamo with Rhode Island Red chickens, then crossing again with shamo, so the birds are 75 percent shamo. The method was set in 1982, and the chicken went on sale in 1984.
Firm and full of flavour
The meat is firm and chewy, close to that of a pure shamo, with more flavour than everyday chicken. Shamo has been raised around Tokyo since the Edo era, when shamo hot pot was already a city favourite.
How to eat it
Try shamo nabe, a hot pot simmered with leeks and tofu, or yakitori. A few old restaurants in Tokyo have served shamo nabe for generations.
Good to know
- Look for 'Tokyo shamo' on menus at yakitori and hot pot restaurants. It costs more than standard chicken, and the flavour shows why.
- For other Japanese heritage chickens, compare Hakata Jidori and Aizu Jidori.
Questions travellers ask
What is shamo?
A Japanese breed of gamecock, tall and muscular, prized for firm, flavourful meat.
Where can I eat it?
At yakitori and hot pot restaurants in Tokyo that list Tokyo shamo on the menu.
Where it comes from
Crafts from the same area
Heritage stories from the same area
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.