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History
Bresse poultry were mentioned in the municipal records of Bourg-en-Bresse in 1591 and royalties were collected in the 17th and 18th centuries. The gourmet Brillat-Savarin referred to the succulence of its flesh in 1825 in the "Physiology of Taste" - Bresse is the "queen of poultry, and the poultry of kings." Since 1862 a competition called "Les Glorieuses de Bresse" has been organised in Bourg. In Montrevel a breed competition occurs every year in December, where the birds are wrapped in cloth until the moment of unveiling.A judgement of the Bourg-en-Bresse court defined the designation of origin in 1936. Bresse birds owe their fame to the fact that since 1957 they have been the only chickens in France -- and by extension in the world -- to be recognised with a "label of controlled origin," or in French "appellation d'origine controllee" (AOC). Only birds from the Bresse breed, raised in a 4,000-square-kilometre area of the Ain, Saone-et-Loire and Jura departments according to very strict rules, can wear the metal tag that is a certificate of their origin. Birds outside the area are known as Gauloise.
Experts say the Bresse soil is low in calcium, so while Bresse birds' bones are weak, the goodness all goes to the flesh.
In France, The Bresse Breed is prized for its meat and sell for around 17Euro in supermarkets.
Characteristics
It has white feathers, fine blue feet, a single crest with red wattles, fine skin and white flesh - so it's nickname of Red Gallic is due to its colouring being like the French flag.Breed Club
Bresse-Gauloise Club,Thomassin Denis,
Les Mirabelliers,
rue Saint Germain,
54115 Battigny,
France.
©2004-2010 Andy Moyle
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