Bangkok - Solar energy has found a unique outlet in Thailand, where one innovator is using the sun's rays to roast barbecued 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 kilometres south-west 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-kilogram chicken in 10 minutes for an average of 50 birds each morning, selling at 160 baht (5 dollars) each.

While the solar system saves on fuel, Sila acknowledged that it only works from 7 to 11 am and takes twice as long when the skies are overcast. (dpa)