Dragon Chicken's 'As Thick As A Brick' Feet Are Lunar New Year Delicacy In Vietnam, Can Cost Upto $2000

Celebrations like the new year call for a special delicacy. Different cultures celebrate and eat cuisines differently around the world. For example, in the United States, black-eyed peas and collard greens are often eaten on New Year's Day for good luck.

In Spain, it is traditional to eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve. Each grape represents one month of the coming year, and eating them all in time with the chimes of the clock is said to bring good luck.

Similarly, in Vietnam, to celebrate the Lunar New Year, people gorge on Dragon Chicken's thick legs, which are a delicacy there. Here's all we know about this special dish:

Vietnam's Dragon Chicken's thick feet are a special delicacy

Giant legs of Vietnam's 'dragon chicken' a Lunar New Year delicacy.
? Nhac NGUYEN #AFP pic.twitter.com/prqegvpFLK

¡ª AFP Photo (@AFPphoto) January 17, 2023

The lumpy legs of the Dong Tao chicken, named after the commune in northern Vietnam where it is bred, are considered a delicacy and are especially popular among the wealthy during Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year.

A poultry farmer named Le Van Hien selects the best bird from his flock of "dragon chickens"¡ªa breed with legs as thick as a brick that can fetch up to US$2,000 per head¡ªon a farm near Hanoi.

Hien's prized four-kilogramme bird, whose massive legs account for roughly a fifth of its body weight, sold for around US$150, but especially large pedigree chickens have been valued at more than ten times that. Some even compete in beauty pageants.

There is more to the chicken's taste than the diet

Often known as dragon chickens, these thick-legged birds can take years of raising and special care pic.twitter.com/f94jaeRakg

¡ª Insider Business (@BusinessInsider) August 11, 2022

Hien told AFP that the bird's diet of corn and rice, as well as its freedom to roam, are crucial to its taste. Although the laying hens are kept in battery cages, which are prohibited in some countries around the world, the meat chickens are released into a small garden.

"The more the chicken walks, the stronger and bigger their muscles are," Hien, who has been breeding chickens for over 15 years, explained.

The meat of the Dong Tao chicken, which can weigh up to 10 kg, is prized for its tough and chewy texture, as well as its low fat content. It is sometimes boiled, but it can also be fried, stewed, or served with lemongrass.

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Le Van Luan, a regular customer in Dong Tao, chose Hien's chicken meat as a year-end gift for his business partners and elderly relatives. "The skin of the Dong Tao chicken's legs is the best part. The bigger the legs, the better," he says.

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