Wenchang ji

Wenchang chicken is one of the most popular poultry dishes in China, specifically the Wenchang city area in Hainan. It is believed that the dish originated during the Ming Dynasty era, when an official from Wenchang had brought the chickens from his hometown and given them to the emperor as a gift. When the emperor tried the dish made with his chickens, he liked it so much that he named the dish Wenchang chicken. Chickens are usually fed on a diet of coconut and peanut bran, resulting in flavorful, aromatic meat. The dish is usually consumed by dipping chicken pieces in a combination of spices such as ginger and salt. The usual accompaniment to the dish is Hainanese chicken rice, prepared with salt, chicken soup, and chicken fat. Over the past few decades, Wenchang chicken has gained popularity both in China and in countries such as Hong Kong and Taiwan.