Top poultry: Bresse chickens are raised in eastern France, and the country only exports 5% of its production, so you'll likely have to travel there to try it.
John Malathronas
Costly dish: Volaille de Bresse sells for €40 per kilogram in the butchers of Paris, making it the most expensive chicken in the world.
John Malathronas
Chef favorite: The Michelin-starred Aux Terrasses in the town of Tournus serves a roasted chicken breast strips dish made from Bresse chicken.
John Malathronas
Bresse devotee: "I like to use Bresse chicken and I'm in luck because the quality of the local produce is the highest the world," says chef Jean-Michel Carrette.
John Malathronas
French product: The chickens are raised in a legally defined area of Bresse in eastern France -- the town of Louhans is considered the capital of Bresse chicken.
John Malathronas
Ultimate accolade: Bresse chicken was the first live foodstuff to obtain a protected designation of origin certification (AOC), which is now valid EU-wide.
John Malathronas
Bresse farming: The Laurency family farm, located seven kilometers from Louhans, raises 20,000 Bresse chickens a year.
John Malathronas
Rearing rules: Farmers are legally require to designate an area of 10 meters for each chicken.
John Malathronas
Chicken feed: The birds are fed a mix of corn, wheat and desiccated milk which is deliberately poor in protein to ensure they to forage for insects, worms or snails as well as grass to supplement their diet.
John Malathronas
Strict process: "Not only must a certificated chicken be reared in Bresse, but also only eat food grown in the region," says Anthony, the youngest farm hand at the Laurency family farm.
John Malathronas
Growing breeds: Most Bresse chickens are matured for four months, although "poulardes" -- females on the verge of ovulating -- usually live one month longer.
John Malathronas
Final stages: They are rested in wooden cages called "épinettes" towards the end of their lives to allow their muscle to turn to fat.
John Malathronas
Preservation technique: Breeder Rachel Roussel-Voisard performs the "roulage" which involves dressing the bird in a white cloth after is slaughtered.
John Malathronas
High esteem: "It's not just for conservation, aesthetics and taste, but it's also a mark of respect for the animal itself," she says.