The kampong chicken factory
June 3, 2007What do you understand by “kapong chicken”?
If, like me, you believe it refers to chickens that roam about freely in kampongs (villages) – that is, the local equivalent of free-range, more or less organic, chicken –as opposed to those kept in cages in factory farms, well, you will be in for a disappointment and a shock.
According to more than one kampong chicken seller at the wet markets whom I have spoken to, there are at least two types of kampong chicken – the “real” type and the “fake” type.
The real type costs about $8.50 to $9 per kg and is a much bigger bird, so you will have to end up paying maybe $15 or more for a chicken. At the Ang Mo Kio Ave 4 market that I sometimes go to, this is called “mountain chicken”.
The one that generally sells for $5.50 per bird, in wet markets and supermarkets, is the fake type. These chickens are reared in cages in factory farms, where up to tens of thousands of chickens are confined in a covered shed. They do not get exercise or sunlight. Presumably, they are also regularly given antibiotics, because chickens raised under such conditions cannot be allowed to get sick. If one does, the sickness will quickly spread to the rest of the factory farm and tens of thousands of chickens will be destroyed.
So why are these “fake” kampong chickens called kampong chickens?
“They are the same species as kampong chicken,” the chicken seller at the market explained.
And so we have another case of misleading food labelling / food description that our health authorities seem to allow.
Any why not? Even the word ‘friend’ is known to be preceeded with ‘true’, ‘fair-weathered’ etc.
Just to share – I was told by older folks who probably have more experience with kampong chickens – that the meat is tougher because those chickens get to run around more and hence get more ‘exercise’.
When I was little we occasionally got a chicken from our kampong relatives but I can’t remember the meat texture though.
Yes, the meat of kampong chicken is tougher but also more flavourful, as opposed to caged chicken whose meat is tender but comparatively bland.
A test of true kampong chicken is this:
After you eat, you will see that the bone is white and slightly shiny – like BONE China – not with dark blotches.
Can I know whereabout in AMK Ave 4 I can get the ‘mountain chicken’?
Since the kampong chickens at the supermarket are fakes, what about the kampong chicken eggs that are sold at $2.80 for 6. Are these eggs truly kampong? I just notice these eggs are small but the yolk is abt same size as the bigger eggs, so you actually get less egg white.
The mountain chicken is available from market at AMK Blk 160+ along Ave 4. They have sign board proclaiming “tasty kampong chicken” etc.
Actually many other markets have too, eg the one near my flat at Blk 226A. Keep your eyes open.
The kampong eggs at $2.85 for 6, eg Ah Chew’s brand, are for real. But those selling at wet markets for 20 cents each or less apparently fakes also, although yolks are deep orange, not pale yellow.
Dear Richard,
Could you please advise on which brands (commonly available in many Singapore supermarkets, eg. NTUC, Cold Storage, Giant, etc) offer genuine free-range or “kampong” eggs?
You mentioned the “Ah Chew” brand in one of your replies. Is this brand commonly available in most supermarkets? From your experience, is there any particular brand you recommend for (Sg available) free-range eggs?
Thanks a lot, Richard!
I am horrified. Thanks for finding out about the difference in the kampong chickens! I’ve been buying the ones from NTUC. Now I know better!!
[...] understand why I want the free-range chicken, and to top it off, some of the kampong chickens wouldn’t even be free range if I got them. Loser: [...]
Here’s an attempt at a defination of ayam kampung by a Malaysian farmer:
http://www.geocities.com/dqcleanchicken/Terminology.html