This Chicken Is Completely Black From Its Feathers To Its Bones

Ayam Cemani has inspired Javanese folklore since the 12th century, when it was considered a bird of the elite. Its charcoal-coloured blood is rumored to be a delicacy of spirits that bring power and wealth, making it a good luck charm.

The Ayam Bekisar originated from matching the green jungle fowl with some domesticated red jungle fowl. This was a tricky process as certain crosses will be infertile. Interestingly, this group of fowl has a very distinct crow, and was used by seafarers as foghorns on the boats – a practice still used today. Even the name has confused meanings: Ayam means chicken in the Indonesian language, but the name Cemani can either mean the 'village of Cemani' in local dialect or 'solid black' in Sanskrit, you can take your pick.