TOKYO - Munching their way through hundreds of golden-brown morsels, a team of judges has searched relentlessly to find the ultimate "karaage" -- the fried chicken known as "Japan's comfort food".
While a global buzz has grown around Korean fried chicken in recent years, in Japan, karaage reigns supreme.
Pronounced "kara-agay", its name refers to a technique where pieces of chicken, other meat or vegetables are marinated and coated in flour and starch before being fried.
The dish is a national obsession: winners of the Karaage Grand Prix, an annual competition to find Japan's choicest chunks, can see their sales as much as triple if their chicken wins an award.
This year, judges were appointed to replace a public vote after allegations of fowl play by some of the competing pubs, restaurants and chicken shops.
The judges met for several tasting sessions around the country -- each putting away around a kilogram of chicken a day.
Lead judge Koichiro Yagi, who also serves as managing director of the Japan Karaage Association, told AFP he was looking for fried chicken that "tells a story".
The town of Nakatsu, on the southern island of Kyushu, has a reputation for producing Japan's best karaage, and its shops have won several prizes at the Karaage Grand Prix.
But competition from the rest of the country is fierce, and some cooks go to great lengths to give themselves an edge.
The contest, now in its 14th year, hands out prizes in categories such as soy sauce or salt-based flavours -- and splits the awards between east and west Japan.
An overall winner is crowned in each category, with several lesser "gold" awards also handed out.
Until this year, winners were determined by public vote, and tales abounded of shops creating email addresses en masse to rig the system.