American Bresse

The Bresse chicken boasts a long and colourful history, underpinning its unique status in the poultry world. Reputed to be the best-tasting chickens globally, this powerful claim is backed by a fascinating tale rich in tradition, intrigue, and national pride. Often standing at the pinnacle where food and fowl intersect, Bresse chickens are a unique dual-purpose breed that originated in France. Raised under strict protocols, they are known for their tender, marbled breast meat. While the name “Bresse” is reserved for birds raised in France, those bred in the United States are referred to as “American Bresse.” Those raise in Zimbabwe can be called “Zimbabwean Bresse” by inference. Bresse chickens are a genetically distinct breed, known for metabolizing feed in a unique way, distributing muscle in specific patterns and rates, and producing meat with a distinct and unparalleled flavour. They have unusually light bones and thin skin, physical traits resulting from their unique genetics. More than half a millennium of selective breeding has produced a Bresse chicken that cannot be replicated by simply crossing other unrelated breeds.