The Exotic Chicken That’s Pricier and Rarer Than Wagyu Beef

The Most Expensive Chicken in the World (That You've Never Tasted)

If you thought your grocery bill was shocking lately—brace yourself for a wild food fact that might just flip your whole perception of pricey poultry. Enter the ayam cemani: the rarest, most expensive chicken in the world. While you might be used to seeing Wagyu beef as the ultimate luxury meat, ayam cemani takes exclusivity to a whole new level—and good luck finding it.

Photo From: Know Your Chickens

What’s the Deal With Ayam Cemani?

Hailing from the Indonesian island of Java, ayam cemani chickens are not your average backyard cluckers. They are famously all black—not just their feathers, but their skin, muscles, internal organs, even their bones. This striking, jet-black coloring is thanks to a rare genetic mutation combined with centuries of selective breeding by local farmers. The result? A bird so rare and mysterious that it’s almost mythical.

Now, here’s where it gets wild: just six ayam cemani eggs can cost nearly $100. A whole chicken? That’ll set you back around $300. But if you want a live bird for breeding purposes, be prepared to shell out as much as $3,000. Yes, three thousand dollars for a chicken.

Rarer Than Wagyu, More Elusive Than Your Favorite Limited-Edition Sneakers

To put this into perspective, Wagyu beef—celebrated worldwide for its buttery texture and rich flavor—is much easier to come by than ayam cemani. In Japan alone, over 457,000 Wagyu cattle were slaughtered in 2019 (according to Statista). This luxury beef is regularly featured on fine dining menus and even available in specialty grocery stores across the U.S.

But ayam cemani? You won’t find it in your local supermarket or even in high-end restaurants here in the States. In fact, its entire global population is estimated to be just about 3,500 birds. That’s a fraction compared to Wagyu cows and explains why it’s nearly impossible to get your hands on ayam cemani meat outside of Indonesia.

So, Is It Worth It?

If you’re imagining a game-changing flavor to justify the sky-high price, here’s the catch: ayam cemani meat reportedly tastes quite similar to regular chicken—only with a slightly more gamey twist. For locals in Java, these birds are prized more for their mystical qualities and their blood rather than their meat, which is rarely eaten.

For adventurous foodies who want to try, your best bet is to order from specialty online markets like Exotic Meat Markets. And if you’re feeling bold in the kitchen, there’s a unique recipe known as ayam cemani black soup—a hearty blend of garlic, ginger, herbs, cabbage, mushrooms, and that rare black meat. But fair warning: experimenting with an ingredient that costs hundreds of dollars isn’t for the faint of heart (or wallet).

The Takeaway?

Ayam cemani isn’t just a chicken—it’s a culinary legend wrapped in mystery and exclusivity. While Wagyu remains the king of luxury meats on menus worldwide, ayam cemani sits on a throne all its own, hidden away in the shadows of the culinary world. For most of us, the experience will remain a deliciously elusive dream... but hey, it’s fun to imagine a world where the rarest chicken outshines the priciest steak.