In terms of food, the Chinese are known to eat almost anything edible on the planet, including snakes, frogs, dogs, reptiles, fried pupa, and so on. However, the Chinese have recently added a new breed of chicken to their menu, an unusual domestic bird with black bones and even black internal organs.
The Chinese silky chicken has incredibly soft fluffy feathers and, on the inside, it varies from other chickens in that it has bluish-black skin, dark flesh, and black bones.
Chinese silken chickens are mostly grown for decorative purposes in the West, but their meat is regarded a delicacy in China and certain other eastern countries, and it is not available to everyone.
The breed has been around since the 7th century, and it is said that eating these birds, which are known in China as gu chi, or “chicken with black bones,” is good for human health.
Chinese ladies, for example, usually eat Chinese silken chickens after childbirth to regain energy, and they believe that black chicken meals are beneficial to the blood, lungs, and stomach.
Gu Ji meat is usually used to prepare a broth with ginseng, dried wolfberry, and Chinese dates, and such hens are rarely fried to ultimately show its special virtues.
The unusual color of the meat and internal organs of these birds, known as fibro melanosis, was discovered in 2011 to be linked to a mutation of the endothelin-3 gene, which is responsible for the development of pigment-producing cells, causing an excessive amount of blackening of not only the skin, but also the bones and internal organs.
However, studies have shown that Chinese silky meat has unique therapeutic powers. Carnosine, a peptide, is found in higher concentrations in chicken supplied as food additives.
Carnosine is used to increase muscle growth, and decrease aging, diabetes, and even autism, and black chicken meat is one of the richest natural sources of this molecule, according to studies. Would you try it if you visit China?
Traditional Chinese medicine is one of the world’s oldest treatment systems, with a history dating back over three thousand years. Many of the treatment principles used by Chinese medicine are being actively introduced into the practice of Western doctors, and many of the treatment principles used by Chinese medicine are recognized as effective.
Columnist: Joel Savage
