Description
The Volailles du Berry PGI are fowls from freerange chickens which belong to the Malvoisine breed, originally from the French Faverolles breed, or to other slow-raising breeds.
Production Area
The production area of Volailles du Berry PGI is located in the centre of France; when provinces where replaced by departments, the Berry region was identified by the departments of Cher, Indre and a part of Vienne. Today, the production area includes the Centre region and some neighbouring areas in the regions of Poitou-Charentes, Burgundy, Limousin and Auvergne.
Production Method
Volailles du Berry PGI are raised in the open air, nurtured with vegetables, minerals and vitamins, with a minimum of 75% cereals and slowly raised in natural environments after six weeks from its birth. The duration of this poultry breeding, instead of the other chickens, is very prolonged. The breed, whose origins are in Faverolles village (Eure-et-Loir), comes from local, free-range chickens and crossbreeds.
Appearance and Flavour
Volailles du Berry PGI have feathers which can be white, salmon rose or brown in colour. The weight of cock can span from 3.5 kg to 4 kg, while the one of hen goes from 2.8 kg to 3.5 kg. The body is mighty and the head is characteristic. In the whole, its image is imposing, powerful but not heavy. Its characteristic fine flesh and the ability to lay eggs early make Volailles du Berry PGI much appreciated. Also the Noire du Berry breed was selected under the same denomination, with similar characteristics and rigorously black feathers. This fowl is very compact and tasteful.
History
It is well-known that the winged animal farming in the production area of Volailles du Berry PGI has very ancient origins. The fowl and the eggs are historically an integral part of the diet of the local populations. This is confirmed by documents which prove the existence of special banquets in the areas and presents of these farmyard animals given to important visitors.
Gastronomy
The Volailles du Berry PGI can be conserved for a few days in the refrigerator, wrapped into the purchasing paper and stored in the coldest compartment. Its meat is very good, ideal to prepare important second courses during feasts. The fowls of Volailles du Berry PGI are used to prepare traditional recipes, cooked with foie gras or local wines, stuffed and combined with vegetable trimmings. Oven roasted or sauté, they are often seasoned with butter in line with the French tradition which prefers butter to olive oil. They can be seasoned with herbs and accompanied by mushrooms and truffles.
Marketing
The product is sold as Volailles du Berry PGI. It is marketed whole, with or without head, or in slices packed and frozen in appropriate trays with protected atmosphere which conserve their organoleptic features.
Distinctive Features
Thanks to the specific selection of the breed, the prolonged farming and the nurture rich of cereals, the fowls of Volailles du Berry PGI are tasteful and feature a compact consistency.
