What is a Black Chicken? The New "Superfood"

Chinese medicinal cures have been touted for years as some of the best homeopathic remedies ever created. As early as the 13^th century, black chickens were reported in China, and have been used in Chinese medicine for well over 1,000 years. Recently popular in American cuisine, the black chicken is now considered a "superfood".

The theory of "superfood" status for the black chicken is related to the bird's high levels of anti-oxidants. An anti-oxidant is a molecule that slows down the oxidation of other chemicals in the human body. Although oxidation is essential to human life, antioxidants help to keep the process at a healthy level. The specific antioxidant present in black chickens is carnosine.

Carnosine is a substance found in high concentrations in the human brain and muscle tissues. This substance holds many antioxidant properties which are currently being studied for their positive effects in the fields of auditory, speech skills, motor development, and opthamology. The levels of carnosine in a black chicken are two times higher than those in traditional chickens. Carnosine can also be found in turkey as well as supplements offered at vitamin shops and nutrition centers.

Until recently the strange characteristics of the black chicken have rendered it unpopular in European and American cultures. The chicken is born with black bones, meat and skin and is considered a bantam or miniature chicken.

Historically the chicken was eaten as a medicinal cure and is said to have a positive effect on the yin, blood, lungs and stomach. The chicken is most commonly served as a part of a stew or soup cooked with other Chinese medicinal herbs such as wolfberries and ginseng.

The taste of the black chicken is thought by some to be sweeter than that of traditional chicken, while others claim they taste no difference at all. The black chicken can be cooked is all the same fashions as the traditional chicken, but some believe the coarser texture of the meat leads toward stewing of the black chicken meat more frequently than other cooking methods.