Japanese department store Takashimaya is taking Christmas orders for truffle-stuffed roast chickens with pricetags of 84,000 yen each. That's $1275 in Aussie dollars.
The store expects to sell a dozen of the capons, which are to be flown in from Landes, France, in time for Christmas Eve. The birds will be filled with black truffles, foie gras, white sausage and chestnuts.
"People may think it's expensive, but it would be perfect for a party," said a spokeswoman at Takashimaya. "The meat is not heavy but juicy, and there will be truffles between the flesh and meat, making it very fragrant."
The capons, known to be more tender than other chickens, will be prepared by French luxury food maker Fauchon and will serve six to eight people each.
Only one has been ordered so far, the spokeswoman said. "It's still early November, so people are probably still planning their parties," she added.
While eating chicken on Christmas is popular here, many may prefer to stick to a Japanese tradition that dates back to the 1970s: heading to the nearest Kentucky Fried Chicken, where a set of roast chicken, cake, salad and a commemorative plate sells for 5,300 yen.
