Dong Tao chicken worth millions in Nghe An

(Baonghean) - It's still more than a month until Lunar New Year, but many rare specialties on the market such as Dong Tao chicken, or foreign fruits with very high prices are being sought after by many people to buy as gifts and to enjoy during Tet.

"Hunting" for Million Dollar Chickens

At the Dong Tao chicken farm in Hamlet 4 Ke Gai, Hung Tay Commune (Hung Nguyen) of Mr. Nguyen Van Tuyen's family, there are many customers coming to order these days. Mr. Tuyen's Dong Tao chicken farm imports breeds from Dong Tao Commune, Khoai Chau District (Hung Yen), with a quantity of hundreds of chickens. At this time, a pair of ornamental chickens ranges from 7-12 million VND; and meat chickens from 3 months old and up cost 420,000 - 800,000 VND/kg, each 5 kg chicken is equivalent to a price of up to nearly 4 million VND.

Mr. Tuyen said: “From now until Tet, the price of chicken may increase. Many customers come to buy, but we only have a small amount left to sell. The rest have been paid for by customers, and we will take them back before the Tao Quan festival or close to Tet.”

Each adult Dong Tao chicken (8 months old) weighing 5kg costs 4 million VND.

The reason why Dong Tao chicken is popular is because of the feng shui concept of buyers and the delicious quality of the meat. Dong Tao chicken meat is red like beef, but has no tendons, the older the chicken, the thicker the skin and meat fibers; especially the most delicious is the pair of legs, very sweet and crispy to eat. In addition, Dong Tao chicken meat has the effect of nourishing people who have been sick for a long time, supporting the treatment of some diseases such as hemorrhage, nourishing the spleen and stomach, etc., and is chosen by many people.

Because of its strong legs, covered with red, prominent scales, Dong Tao chickens are also called “dragon scale chickens”, and in the past were only used as offerings to the King. Many people believe that this is a noble poultry, and is very “luxurious” to give as gifts.

Dong Tao chicken is a precious breed that requires meticulous care. Breeders must regularly inject vaccines to prevent disease, feed the chickens according to a strict regimen, clean the coop every day, cover it carefully, and occasionally use betel leaf water to scrub the feet to keep them strong and healthy. The "giant" legs of this breed of chicken make the hatching process more difficult than other breeds of chicken. Each litter, the hen lays about 7 eggs, with a hatching rate of only 1-2. After 8 months, the chickens reach a weight of 3-5kg and are sold on the market.

Ms. Mai Huong (Quang Phong commune, Que Phong district) chooses to buy Dong Tao hens

As a customer “hunting” for a pair of roosters and hens as gifts, Ms. Mai Huong (Quang Phong commune, Que Phong district) said: “Western wines or imported candies as Tet gifts have become boring. Now, giving a pair of Dong Tao chickens like this has the same value, but is much more unique and “luxurious”.

"Prefer" foreign fruits

The trend of "hunting" for "unique" and strange goods as Tet gifts has also spread to imported fruits. Fresh, delicious foreign fruits with "exorbitant" prices such as American cherries, strawberries, Australian blueberries... are in high demand at this time. Specifically, American cherries (also known as acerola) cost between 550,000 - 750,000 VND/kg; Australian blueberries and strawberries cost between 1-2.8 million VND/kg...

Despite being dozens of times more expensive than domestic fruits, imported fruits are still favored by many customers as gifts during Tet. In the photo: Customers shop at a fruit store on Dinh Cong Trang Street.

Ms. Ngoc Anh, owner of an imported fruit distribution store in Quang Trung Ward (Vinh City) said: “These fruits are unique products, cannot be produced in Vietnam, have a beautiful appearance and a delicious taste. Recently, the demand for buying has increased, sometimes customers have to order a week in advance to get the goods.”

When imported fruits enter the Vietnamese market, their prices are "inflated" due to international quality control requirements, air transportation and intermediary costs. However, the price of these imported products is not a barrier for well-off customers. Ms. Hoang Oanh (40 years old, Ha Huy Tap ward) said: "This Tet, we also ordered a large quantity as gifts. Foreign fruits are not only beautiful, delicious, unique, but also have great value, the recipient will definitely find them more interesting than regular gifts."

Hoang Van