December 18, 2007
 

France celebrates 50th anniversary of the "Queen of Chickens"

The French "poulet de Bresse'' is celebrating 50 years of being officially the most pampered chicken in France and also one of the most expensive in the world.

With a red crest, white feathers and blue legs, the Queen of Chickens carries the three national colours and is widely touted to be the best in the world. Only 1 million such chickens are produced in France each year.

Highly pampered rearing and breeding has yielded the tender white flesh of the Bresse chicken, which is highly regarded by chefs in fine dining.

A Bresse chicken can fetch upwards of EUR 35 (US$50.34) in France and a capon (castrated chicken) twice as much.