Grandma's Recipes 
大分県 
* Photo is for reference 福岡県 ⛄ Winter
Japanese Grandma's Gameni Chicken Stew (Chikuzenni)
Gameni is Fukuoka's signature stew, known nationwide as chikuzenni. What sets it apart is that ingredients are stir-fried before braising — locking in flavor and creating a rich depth. Every Japanese grandmother has her own version, and it's a must at New Year's.
🧂 Ingredients
servings
* In traditional Japanese grandma cooking, measurements are approximate — think of them as guidelines rather than exact amounts.
| Main Ingredients | |
| Chicken thigh | A generous portion (Bite-sized pieces) |
| Burdock root (gobo) | 1 medium (Scrub and cut) |
| Lotus root (renkon) | 1 section (Peel and slice) |
| Taro (satoimo) | Several (Peel and halve) |
| Konnyaku (konjac) | Half a block (Tear into pieces) |
| Carrot | 1 medium (Decorative shapes) |
| Dried shiitake | 4-5 (Rehydrate and quarter) |
| Seasonings | |
| Soy sauce | A good amount (いりこでもかつおでもお好みで。しいたけの戻し汁を加えてもOK) |
| Mirin | A splash |
| Sugar | A spoonful (三温糖でも可) |
| Sake | A splash |
| Dashi broth | Enough to cover |
| Vegetable oil | A drizzle |
👩🍳 Instructions
- 1
Heat oil, stir-fry chicken until browned.
💡 This stir-fry step is what makes gameni special
- 2
Add hard vegetables and continue stir-frying.
- 3
Add taro, konnyaku, shiitake. Pour in dashi.
- 4
Add sake, sugar, mirin. Simmer.
- 5
Add soy sauce, simmer until glazed.
💡 Vegetables should be tender and coated
📖 Memories & Stories
Every New Year's, grandma spent hours making gameni — carefully cutting each vegetable into decorative shapes. She said the secret was patience: never rush the stir-frying step.
Source: Learned directly from grandmaWritten from memory (Submitted by: ゆきよ)
🍽 Cultural Background
Gameni is one of Japan's most iconic home-cooked dishes. The stir-fry-before-simmer technique creates a toasted depth of flavor that makes it a fixture of osechi New Year cuisine.
