About those chickens ...
I mentioned Kauai's wild chickens in this morning's column about why people drive what they drive, and figured I should probably elaborate here.
The first chickens were brought to Kauai for the same reason chickens get brought anywhere: They're tasty.
Then, the story goes, Filipino immigrants brought in some fighting cocks. Hey, cockfighting is a crime for good reason and it's not my idea of sport, but cultures do what cultures do. Try explaining football.
Anyway, Hurricane Iniki brought carnage and destruction in 1992 and freed a bunch of chickens, hostile and otherwise, who interbred and flourished to the point where they pretty much have the run of the island. Their only natural predators are dogs and cats, who don't want any part of them.
I played four rounds this month at Prince Golf Course, a beautiful layout on the north end of the island that often winds up on Best Courses lists. At one point, I stepped out of my cart and found myself getting hissed and scowled at by a feral cat with a bad attitude and no tail.
Not 10 feet away were two chickens. Excuse me, I said to the cat, but I'm considerably larger than you, and I have 14 golf clubs. Those are birds. Haven't you watched the cartoons?
He kept hissing and arching his back, so I got out of his way. The chickens barely noticed.
Rather than get upset about the chickens, the people of Kauai have embraced them, albeit from a distance. You'll find chicken art and chicken T-shirts and even this chicken recipe, which will help explain why no one eats them.
Kauai Wild Chicken Recipe
1 Kauai wild chicken
1 large onion
1 bunch seasoning spices of your choosing
1 large rock
Salt and pepper
Put all ingredients into a large covered pot. Simmer over a low flame for several hours. Remove the rock. Discard the chicken. Eat the rock.
