Black Chicken Soup THE CHICKEN WITH WHITE FEATHERS BUT BLACK MEAT AND BLACK BONES

By Manny Pinol

A few years ago while visiting a farm sponsored by the group of former Quezon City Mayor Jun Simon in Angat, Bulacan, I saw a pair of small white feathered chicken which I knew were called Chinese Silkie.

I asked JunSi if I could have them as I have long been looking for breeding materials of this unique breed of chicken which has black meat and black bones.

It is called “ulikba” and I and my drinking buddies when I was still working with the Tempo newspaper would have them at Peter Lee’s Tea House along Mabini Street in Ermita as black chicken soup after a night of drinking spree.

They are also reputed to have medicinal values and cooked as Black Chicken Soup, they are recommended for young kids getting into adolescent stage.

It is also said to be beneficial to milking mothers and those who have just had childbirth.

For us, drinkers (I used to drink heavily until I totally abandoned alcohol 8 years ago), the Black Chicken soup provided relief to the head breaking hang-over.

Not only did Jun Simon give me the pair. He also led me to the feeds factory owner who gave the pair to the farm and there I was able to get a trio.

Today, I have over 100 Chinese Silkie chicken in the farm and I have already shared breeding materials with many friends, including my Chinese friends in Kidapawan City.

I have placed them in one breeding yard because the males actually do not fight each other which makes breeding easier.

The young ones are allowed to just run around the farm and they actually are a joy to see every morning.