Hone-Tsuki-Dori: Kagawa's Bone-In Roast Chicken, Two Ways

Hone-tsuki-dori is a bone-in chicken leg roasted whole at high heat until the skin turns dark and crackling, seasoned simply with garlic, black pepper, and salt rather than a sweet glaze. It's strongly associated with Marugame, Kagawa, where the style developed in the mid-20th century and split into two versions: oyadori, using a mature bird with firmer, more intensely flavored meat that needs a longer roast, and wakadori (or hinadori), a young bird that cooks faster and eats more tender. Menus usually let you choose which one you want.

It's eaten with your hands, torn off the bone, usually alongside raw cabbage wedges and a bowl of rice to balance the richness and garlic. It's built for sharing at the table and pairs naturally with beer, which is why it shows up so often at group dinners and drinking spots. If Sanuki udon is the food most visitors already know about Kagawa, hone-tsuki-dori is the other local specialty worth planning a meal around.