Once reserved for Vietnamese royalty, demand for ‘dragon chicken’ surges during Lunar New Year

Dong Tao chicken, a Lunar New Year delicacy that weighs up to 6kg when fully grown, is believed to bring luck and wealth to owners

Demand for the rare breed of poultry has risen sharply, backed by a growing number of wealthy people in one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies

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The lumpy legs of the Dong Tao chicken - named after the commune where they’re bred in northern Vietnam - are a particularly popular dish among the wealthy during Lunar New Year, known as Tet. Photo: AFP

Published: 8:00am, 9 Feb 2024

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 30km (18 miles) southeast of Hanoi.

Dong Tao chicken, weighing up to 6kg (13 pounds) each when fully grown and once reserved only for the royals, are believed to bring good fortune and wealth to their owners.

Poultry farmer Le Van Hien holds the legs of a Dong Tao chicken at his farm in Hung Yen province. Photo: AFP

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 (US$205) or sometimes even 10 million dong,” said Le Trong Dung, a chicken farmer in the village.

Nguyen Thi Hong Nhung, a local chicken farmer, said the most valuable parts of the chicken are its legs, as she held a two-year-old rooster in her hands.