Dong Tao chicken – A breed of chicken famous for its enormous legs.

When talking about the delicious and unique dishes of Hung Yen province, one cannot overlook the specialty Dong Tao chicken, also known as Dong Cao chicken - a rare and endemic breed of chicken in Vietnam.

The most distinctive feature of this breed of chicken is its large, thick, and unsightly legs, giving the impression of enormous feet. It is also a popular pet for many people and a much-loved gift during the Lunar New Year.

This is a specialty chicken breed from Dong Tao commune, Khoai Chau district, Hung Yen province. In the past, the locals used them for religious ceremonies, festivals, or as offerings to the King. Dong Tao chickens are on the list of rare poultry breeds in Vietnam and their genetic resources are currently being preserved.

Dong Tao chickens are a large breed, with a majestic appearance, a large body, red skin, a dignified head, and sturdy legs. Male Dong Tao chickens have two basic plumage patterns: a dark purple (purple mixed with black) and the color of a plum. They also have rough, scaly legs; the front of the legs is covered in irregularly arranged scales, while the remaining 3/4 of the area is covered in rough skin resembling the surface of a mulberry fruit. The four toes are spread out, clearly separated, and the feet are thick and well-proportioned, allowing the chicken to walk steadily. The rooster's comb is short and shrunken, purplish-red, and the wattles and earlobes are red, underdeveloped, giving it a neat and healthy appearance.

Hens have three basic color patterns: light yellow, light brown or earthy brown, and milky white. The feathers on the neck and wings of hens are often a mixture of yellow, milky white, reddish brown, and black. Hens also have a comb similar to that of a rooster, but only about one-third the size.

The featherless areas of skin on the body of chickens (both male and female) are red. Newly hatched chicks have off-white feathers. They weigh 38-40g at hatching, grow feathers slowly, and at maturity, males weigh over 4.5kg and females over 3.5kg. The meat is delicious and sweet, with a plump, reddish-pink breast and muscular thighs with interwoven muscle fibers; the meat is tender and not tough.

Một trang trại nuôi gà Đông Tảo. (Ảnh: Minh Sơn/Vietnam+) — A farm raising Dong Tao chickens. (Photo: Minh Son/Vietnam+)

Dong Tao chickens are a very finicky breed; they are not used to being confined and prefer to run and jump, so their enclosures must be spacious to ensure the meat is delicious and firm. It takes one to one and a half years of raising them in a free-range environment, feeding them natural feed without growth hormones, before they can be slaughtered for meat.

Dong Tao chickens are also favored for their uniquely flavorful meat, which some say is "like beef," a quality unmatched by any other type of chicken.

With a Dong Tao chicken, one can prepare dozens of dishes for the Tet holiday feast, such as chicken feet stewed with medicinal herbs, steamed chicken thighs with lime leaves, chicken sausage, chicken skin mixed with roasted rice powder, grilled chicken patties, chicken spring rolls, chicken skewers, chicken sausage, chicken stir-fried with chili, chicken offal stir-fried with beans, sticky rice with chicken, chicken egg wine, imitation dog meat stew, chicken bones stewed with vegetables, etc.

Dong Tao chickens typically lay fewer eggs than regular chickens, and their large, clumsy legs make them very poor at incubating eggs. They begin laying eggs at 160 days old. If left to lay and incubate on their own, they can produce 70 eggs in 10 months. The weight of each egg ranges from 48-55g.

Steamed Dong Tao chicken with mushrooms. (Photo: Vietnam+)

Currently, the Dong Tao chicken breed is being preserved through various methods, especially through the "Livestock Gene Conservation Program" funded by the State. Many localities are now promoting the raising of Dong Tao chickens because they are easy to raise and highly economically efficient, including the largest purebred Dong Tao chicken farm in Vietnam located in Dong Tao commune, Khoai Chau district.

A Dong Tao chicken, when given as a gift, costs between 2.5 and 3 million VND per bird. Particularly, those with a boat-like body, round legs, fleshy scales, and a well-proportioned comb can fetch prices as high as 4-5 million VND. Chickens that don't meet the gifting standards are sold at a lower price, around 1-2 million VND per 4kg chicken. A chicken with a beautiful appearance and large legs can be offered for tens of millions of VND per bird.

Every year, from the beginning of November in the lunar calendar until the days leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year), visitors from all over flock to Dong Tao commune hoping to buy high-quality chickens for consumption, gifts, or resale. Therefore, chicken farmers never worry about unsold stock; on the contrary, their chickens sell very well.

(Vietnam+)

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