Solar-barbecued chicken a hit in Thailand

BANGKOK: Solar energy has found a unique outlet in Thailand with one innovator using the sun's rays to roast chicken at his roadside stall, drawing the attention of Japanese researchers and hungry motorists, news reports said Monday.
 
With temperatures and fuel prices rising around the globe, Sila Sutharat's solar-seared chicken, sold at a roadside in Phetchaburi town, 90 km southwest of Bangkok, recently attracted a team of Japanese researchers keen to learn his cooking techniques, the Bangkok Post newspaper reported.
 
Sila, 50, has devised a concave collection of small mirrors that reflect the morning sun's rays onto his chickens.
 
The Thai innovator, who attributed his culinary brainstorm to a childhood experiment with a magnifying glass, said the sun can roast a 1.6-kg chicken in 10 minutes for an average of 50 birds each morning, selling at 160 baht ($5) each.
 
While the solar system saves on fuel, Sila acknowledged that it only works from seven to 11 a.m. and takes twice as long when the skies are overcast.