The poultry sector in France today is dominated by just eight species, a far cry from the 32 types of birds recorded in medieval cookbooks. Chicken now makes up the majority of the poultry industry, with an average annual consumption of 31.7 kg per person in 2025. This stands in sharp contrast to the Middle Ages, when cookbooks listed nearly thirty species of poultry, including swan, peacock, crane, heron, game birds, and various small birds. Each was carefully selected, prepared, and seasoned, reflecting a complex science of taste influenced by medical theories, social hierarchies, and culinary art. One of the most important medieval cookbooks, the Viandier, preserved in the Vatican, documented 32 different types of poultry. Within these recipes, Gallus gallus (chicken) was used in more than two-thirds of the dishes. A castrated male chicken known as a capon made up a quarter of the recipes, showing its importance. While chicken remains the most popular today, the capon still holds a special place, especially in December, when all of the year's capon consumption takes place. This tradition dates back to the Middle Ages, when the capon's fatty and tender meat was a favorite among the wealthy and frequently appeared in medieval cookbooks. The shift from medieval to modern cooking is seen in the evolution of techniques and the use of spices. By the 17th century, the Le Cuisinier François by François Pierre La Varenne established standardized cooking methods, with roasting becoming a distinct category. Spices such as pepper, clove, and nutmeg began to replace the earlier combination of ginger, maniguette, and cinnamon. The use of sugar also changed, moving to desserts and pastries, while the distinction between sweet and salty flavors became clearer. The cultural importance of the capon is also connected to the "Great Chain of Being," a medieval concept that arranged the natural world in a hierarchy of perfection. Historian Allen Grieco mapped out the position of birds on this scale, with capons placed in a strategic middle position between noble raptors and waterfowl. This hierarchy influenced not only food choices but also the precise ways of cooking, such as using pepper sauce to balance the moisture of waterfowl. Despite the passage of centuries, the capon continues to be a festive dish, appreciated for its "generous, tender, and full of flavors" qualities. This continuity shows how cultural traditions have been preserved and adapted over time, reflecting both historical practices and modern marketing efforts.