Dehua Black Chicken

Dehua Black Chicken

The Dehua Black Chicken is a geographical indication protected product.

The Dehua Black Chicken is an agricultural geographical indication product.

　　The Dehua Black Chicken is the only surviving rare breed in Fujian Province. Its feathers, skin, meat, and internal organs are all black.

　　The meat is tender, fragrant, delicious, and rich in melanin, which has high nourishing and medicinal value. It is known as “more nourishing than soft-shell turtle, better for recovery than pigeon, and more beautifying than pearls.” Tests by the Fujian Provincial Central Testing Institute show that this chicken is high in protein, vitamins A, D, E, and essential nutrients such as calcium, iron, and zinc. Its nutritional content is two to three times higher than that of ordinary free-range chickens, while its fat content is very low. For centuries, during the farming era, the Dehua Black Chicken has been chosen by locals as an excellent tonic for women recovering from childbirth and as a premium gift for family and friends.

　　　Although the Daiyun Black Chicken has a history of hundreds of years in Dehua (county records indicate 500 years), due to its “delicate and difficult to raise” nature, it requires very high standards in breeding and disease prevention. As a result, for centuries, farmers have raised it only sporadically and in limited numbers, bringing it close to extinction. In 2002, to protect this rare breed, the Dehua County Party Committee and County Government took active measures to carry out rescue collection and purification of the breed across the county, and applied for its recognition as a protected local livestock breed in Fujian Province.

　　The geographical indication protection area for the Dehua Black Chicken is defined according to the scope proposed in the “Request for Defining the Geographical Indication Protection Area of Dehua Black Chicken” (Dezheng [2007] No. 251) issued by Dehua County, Fujian Province, covering the entire current administrative region of Dehua County.