Black Chicken - Silkie Superfood + 4 Recipes
By: Kelsey Ganes
Published: October 25, 2011

Black chickens (also known as bantam or Silkie/Silky chickens) are considered to be a new superfood trend. Silkie chickens were first documented in 13th century China and used in medicinal remedies, namely a ginseng and wolfberry soup, thought to help with stomach, blood and/or lung ailments and particularly, women's health. Now named as a superfood, Silkie chickens are rich in antioxidants, specifically carnosine, which is "a substance found in high concentrations in the human brain and muscle tissues [and] holds many antioxidant properties, [...] currently being studied for their positive effects in the fields of auditory, speech skills, motor development, and opthamology." (Associated Content).
Smaller than ordinary chickens (1-2 pounds, plucked) Silkies are becoming increasingly common in contemporary Asian cooking, prized for their medicinal properties, gamey black flesh and corresponding pitch-black bones! While finding black chickens at your local supermarket is likely a long ways off, here are few recipe ideas to pique your interest!
Silkie Black Chicken with Goji Berries
Silkie Black Chicken and Wolfberry Soup
Silkie Black Chicken Slow Cooked with Coconut Sauce
Silkie Black Chicken Slow Cooked in Dark Soy Sauce