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.
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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.