09 Feb 2024
Vietnam’s rare ‘dragon chickens’ all the rage for Lunar New Year
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HANOI, Feb 8 (Reuters) – Known for their strangely large feet, Dong Tao chicken has for generations been a delicacy in Vietnam and mostly consumed during the Lunar New Year holiday.
The rare breed of poultry, also known as dragon chicken, feature a pair of scaly red feet as large as a beer can, originates from Dong Tao, a village 30 kms (18 miles) southeast of Hanoi.
Dong Tao chicken, weighing up to 6 kg (13 pounds) each when fully grown and once reserved only for the royals, are believed to bring good fortune and wealth to their owners.
Today, demand for Dong Tao chicken, whose meat has a crunchy texture, a distinct fragrant aroma and a rich flavour, has risen sharply, backed by a growing number of wealthy people in one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies.
“A fully grown dragon chicken of at least one year old farmed in Dong Tao village is sold for up to 5 million dong ($205.38) or sometimes even 10 million dong,” said Le Trong Dung, a chicken farmer in the village.