This is the Ayam Cemani Chicken of Indonesia. It’s a rare breed of chicken, and you can probably see why. Everything about it is black: plumage, beak, tongue, legs, toe nails, even its meat, bones, and organs!
Traditionally it’s been used in Indonesia for centuries for religious and mythical purposes, but it didn’t made it’s way to Europe until 1998.
They have such unusual appearance because they have a dominant gene that causes fibromelanosis (hyperpigmentation), a harmless condition that is often described as the opposite of albinism.
Because of that, all of their organs are black except for blood, which is a darker hue of red Ayam translates as “chicken” in Indonesian, Cemani is Javanese for “completely black.” Nowadays Ayam Cemani is considered a delicacy in elite restaurants, but don’t expect to get one at your local diner. One chicken cost about $2500, so you get the idea why the breed is dubbed “Lamborghini of Poultry”
