Dong Tao Chicken - a unique cuisine of Hung Yen with giant legs

When it comes to the delicious and strange dishes of Hung Yen, we cannot ignore the specialty of Dong Tao chicken with its special impression of its very "giant" legs. This is also a pet of many people and is also a very popular gift every Tet holiday because according to tradition, having chicken to worship on New Year's Eve will bring prosperity and peace.

The Dong Tao chicken has a unique feature: its big, rough legs like an elephant's, and its crest is as red as a raspberry. It was once said to be a rare delicacy offered to kings in ancient times. Moreover, today it is one of thirty rare native chicken breeds, always used to prepare many delicious, strange, and unique dishes favored by gourmets. That is the Dong Tao chicken of Hung Yen province.

If anyone has the opportunity to visit Khoai Chau district, Hung Yen province, they will be delighted to see this rare breed of Dong Tao chicken. Dong Tao chickens have a different appearance from normal chickens because they usually weigh from five to seven kilos each, have a head shaped like a bamboo stump, a body like a toad, wings like two clams folded over the body, a tail like a fish trap, a raspberry comb, bright red skin, and big, rough legs like elephant legs.

This Dong Tao chicken requires a lot of care and is difficult to raise. The older the chicken, the more valuable it is. Its meat often has a delicious, distinctive flavor that cannot be confused with any other type of chicken. It can also be used to make a variety of special dishes, so it is very expensive.

This Dong Tao chicken presented to the king has bright red skin when young, with only sparse feathers, just like a fairy-wing chicken. When grown, its feathers are thick, its legs are as big as an elephant's, and its meat is firm. A large Dong Tao chicken can be prepared into seven to ten dishes, each of which is unique. Dong Tao chicken is boiled, stewed in jelly, stir-fried with bamboo shoots, pan-fried, or grilled with lemon leaves so that the outer skin is crispy and the meat inside is soft and fragrant.

Other parts of this breed of chicken can also be processed into many unique dishes, fried chicken gizzards with lemongrass and chili are crispy, rich, and spicy. Dong Tao chicken skin is very thick, even a few ounces, drinkers often enjoy the dish of shredded chicken skin fried with lemon leaves or choose the thinly sliced neck skin mixed with sticky rice powder, served with coriander, ginseng, and fig leaves, rolled up and eaten crispy and crunchy, very "addictive" to alcohol.

In addition, with delicious meat, steamed chicken thighs with shrimp paste and perilla leaves are as delicious as fake dog meat. Dong Tao chicken cooked with lemon juice is effective in relieving colds and treating body fatigue. But perhaps the most delicious and unique dish is the dish made from elephant feet that connoisseurs often liken to "dragon scales stewed with Chinese herbs". The thick scales when stewed still retain their crunchiness and do not become soft and mushy. When stewing with Chinese herbs, the chef often stews the two Dong Tao chicken balls so that the broth is fragrant and sweet.

Usually, a pot of "dragon scales stewed with Chinese herbs" with two legs takes two or three people to finish because it is very big. Taking a bite, you can smell the fragrant smell of meat and skin.

From a Dong Tao chicken, the chef can freely prepare many popular specialties, the delicious taste of Dong Tao chicken meat and skin is unmistakable. However, Dong Tao chicken is considered rare and expensive because it is not easy to maintain the breed. Especially for Tet meals, Dong Tao chicken can prepare dozens of dishes for Tet meals such as chicken feet stewed with Chinese herbs, steamed chicken thighs with lemon leaves, chicken sausage, chicken skin mixed with rice powder, grilled sausage, chicken spring rolls, fanned chicken with sausage, chicken sausage, chicken stir-fried with chili, chicken gizzards stir-fried with beans, chicken sticky rice, chicken egg wine, fake dog meat, chicken bones stewed with vegetables.

Because it is so delicious, gourmets who love Dong Tao chicken are always looking for it to enjoy and sip. Therefore, when enjoying chicken cuisine in Vietnam, don't forget this unique Dong Tao chicken dish!

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