Lunar New Year: Why is Vietnam's 'dragon chicken' so expensive?

The meat of the Dong Tao chicken is prized for its chewy texture and is also low in fat

Published: January 17, 2023 11:04 AFP and Compiled by Christian Borbon, Senior Web Editor

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Hung Yen, Vietnam: On a farm close to Hanoi, Le Van Hien picks out the best bird among his flock of "dragon chickens" - a breed with legs as thick as a brick that can fetch up to $2,000 a head. Image Credit: AFP

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The lumpy legs of the Dong Tao chicken - named after the commune where it is bred in northern Vietnam - are considered a delicacy, and are particularly popular among the wealthy during the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, known as Tet. Image Credit: AFP

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Hien's prized four-kilogramme bird, whose enormous legs make up around a fifth of its body weight, was sold for about $150 - but especially large pedigree chickens have been valued at more than 10 times that. Image Credit: AFP

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Some are even entered into beauty contests. Image Credit: AFP

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The key to the bird's taste is its diet of corn and rice and the freedom it has to roam, Hien told AFP. Image Credit: AFP

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Although the laying hens are kept in battery cages, which have been banned in some countries across the world, the chickens bred for meat are let loose in a small garden. Image Credit: AFP

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"The more the chicken walks, the stronger and bigger their muscles are," said Hien, who has been breeding chickens for more than 15 years. Image Credit: AFP

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The meat of the Dong Tao chicken - which can reach up to 10 kg - is prized for its tough and chewy texture and is also low in fat. Image Credit: AFP

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It is sometimes served boiled, but also fried, stewed or served with lemongrass. Image Credit: AFP

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Le Van Luan, who picked Hien's chicken meat as a year-end gift for his business partners and elderly relatives, is a regular customer in Dong Tao. Image Credit: AFP

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"The best part of the Dong Tao chicken is the skin of their legs. The bigger the legs are, the tastier," he said. Image Credit: AFP

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Lunar New Year: Why is Vietnam's 'dragon chicken' so expensive?

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