Lena's Culinary Delights: Making Broth from Black Chicken (Reblog)

So happy to reshare the link to this content from a fellow foodie and blogger.  Lena and I have been online friends for so long, I stopped counting the years. In this blog post, she said she discovered black chicken (aka silkie chicken) at a local Chinese supermarket and bought one to make broth for her mother’s friend. There's no way the friend could not be impressed. LOL. 😊

Lena's Culinary Delights:

Making Broth from Black Chicken

**

My First Food Experience With Black Chicken

I have been active in many global online communities and forums for over a decade.  So I can't remember exactly when I first learned about black chicken. But when I knew there was a chicken that was black all over, it was like … WHAT??? … MIND BLOWN!! What else don't I know about Planet Earth??

Black Chicken (Silkie Chicken) Has a Fascinating Food History

Silkies trace back over 1,000 years to ancient China, where they were prized by royalty and wealthy families. (But of course! Everything traces back to China or Egypt. LOL.) Chinese records mention them as early as the 8th century, during the Tang Dynasty. They were deeply embedded in traditional Chinese medicine, valued for restorative properties and used in remedies such as “Black Chicken Pills” during the Ming Dynasty. Their meat, skin, and bones appear in the Pharmacopoeia of the People’s Republic of China as medicinal materials.

In Chinese cuisine, they’re known as wu gu ji (“dark boned chicken”). Common dishes include:

• Black chicken herbal soup

• Steamed Silkie with medicinal herbs

• Confinement foods for postpartum recovery

Admit it! That's fascinating! But wait! There's more!

**

Somehow, black chicken made it to the West.

The black chicken made its way to Westerners. Who do we thank? MarcoPolo. He wrote about a “furry chicken” after his travels to the Far East during the 13th century. By the 16th–17th centuries, Silkies arrived in Europe via the SilkRoad and maritime trade. (Would civilization have survived without the Silk Road?) 

Early European sellers even claimed they were hybrids of rabbits and chickens to attract buyers. (As if a black chicken wouldn't get your attention? Why didn't they do like they do in grocery stores? Cook it and hand out samples to taste!)

WHY ARE BLACK CHICKENS BLACK?

(I know you're curious, and so was I!)

Silkies have fibromelanosis, a rare genetic mutation causing black skin, bones, and organs. Their feathers look like fur because they lack barbicels, the tiny hooks that normally hold feather strands together.

REFERENCES:

Silkies, Route 99. “The Fascinating History of Silkies: From Ancient China to Modern.” Route 99 Silkies, 17 Nov. 2025, https://route99silkies.com/learning-center/f/the-fascinating-history-of-silkies-from-ancient-china-to-modern.

The Poultry Pro. “Unlocking Silkie Chicken History: Origins and Evolution.” Feathered Farm Life, 28 Jun. 2025, https://featheredfarmlife.com/silkie-chicken-origin-and-evolution/.

Team, Science Insights. “Where Are Silkie Chickens From? Ancient China Roots.” ScienceInsights, 15 Mar. 2026, https://scienceinsights.org/where-are-silkie-chickens-from-ancient-china-roots/.

hobby-farms-hq. “Silkie Chicken Breed Profile: History, Traits & Care.” Hobby Farms, 11 Aug. 2025, https://www.hobbyfarms.com/silkie-2/.

Kilar, Katarzyna. “Silkie Chickens: The Black-Skinned Poultry Breed.” Backyard Chicken Coach, 21 Dec. 2025, https://backyardchickencoach.com/black-chickens-with-black-skin/.

**

MY Chicken Blog Posts RoundUp:

• My Best Of Chicken Recipes 
• Netflix Series: Korean Fried Chicken Rhapsody 
• Foodie Nuggets: Who Invented Chicken Nuggets? 
• Homemade Soups: Chicken Soup (A Global Comfort Food - Every Country Has One!) 

Eight Treasure Chicken (Reblog) | Dispensable Thoughts 

**

Would you be interested in my other "First Food" experiences?  I've had quite a few.  Click here:  My Foodie Luv | Medium.com

As always, thank you for visiting. 

I'd Like to Order Kung Pao Chicken Smothered with Melted Cheese! (Yuk!)

A few years back, I was having a spirited discussion with co-workers at one of my temp jobs and the discussion turned to food preferences. Mexican versus Chinese. 

I said: “I love Chinese food!”

My co-worker's response was:

“No way! Chinese food doesn't have near enough cheese for me!!”

I laughed and thought to myself: 'Yep! She's right about that!'

But why? ⍰
Why is there hardly any cheese in Chinese cuisine?

Did some research. Here is the quick answer, according to Corinne Trang, affectionately referred to by her many admirers as the “Asian Julia Child”. She says: “In Asian food culture, you have thousands, countless amounts of herbs and spices that we use at any given time. So few of these spices go well with cheese.” *

Nevertheless, there is a food trend going in the “fusion” direction and chefs are experimenting with incorporating cheese into Asian recipes.

I seriously doubt that you can order a plate of kung pao chicken smothered with melted cheese.  I didn't say the chefs had taken leave of their senses.  😋

But what do you think of this "adaptation"?

Do you like Chinese food with or without cheese?

* * *

*Quote Source:

Kuo, Stephanie. "The Real Reason There's No Cheese In Asian Cuisine." CheeseRank : Your Go To Guide for All Things Cheese. N.p., 28 July 2014. Web. 15 June 2017. (NOTE: Links to an archived copy.)

It Turns Out, There is Such a Thing as Chinese Cheese

The Blog: Cookbook author and teacher Diana Kuan writes about traditional and modern takes on Asian home cooking on her blog, Appetite for China. She has also recently launched an online shop called Plate and Pencil, with cute gifts like a "Dumplings Around the World" tote bag.

Discovering Cheese in One of the Most Unsuspecting Places

It's nearly impossible for any Westerners to remember the first time they tried cheese. From pizza to pasta to hunks eaten on their own, cheese's ubiquity in our diets means that we've been enjoying it since before we could eat most other solid foods. For Liu Yang, a cheesemaker in Beijing, the ...

Related or Similar articles

• Canadian inventor of the Hawaiian pizza dies, leaving behind a fruity and cheesy legacy that divides the world(telegraph.co.uk)

  ---

• The Struggles of Writing About Chinese Food as a Chinese Person(metafilter.com)

  ---

• The Transformative Fungus That Powers Japanese Cuisine(theatlantic.com)

  ---

  
  

♦ ♦ ♦