Ducks and fruits 'sold out' on Dragon Boat Festival

Duck meat is "sold out" on this year's Duanwu Festival. Photo: Quang An

On the occasion of the Duanwu Festival (the 5th day of the 5th lunar month), from early morning, the markets in Vinh City became bustling.

According to folk beliefs, during the Doan Ngo festival, people often offer duck meat, so this is also the most consumed item. Most markets in Vinh have trucks carrying ducks from suburban communes to serve people's needs.

According to the reporter's records, at Vinh market on the morning of June 7, there were 6 trucks carrying ducks along with many stalls selling pre-processed ducks. Ms. Le Thi Binh - a duck seller said: "This year, I brought 120 ducks to Vinh market, now there are only a dozen more, because I sell at the same price of 90,000 VND/duck, so there are quite a lot of buyers".

Many people also ask to buy ready-made duck meat. Photo: Quang An

Compared to previous years, ducks were sold more strongly this year, with some families even buying 3-4 ducks. In just a few hours, the number of ducks at the points of sale had decreased by more than half, with some places "sold out".

Not only raw duck meat but also processed duck meat is sought after by many people. Ms. Nguyen Hong Nhung, Vinh Tan Ward (Vinh City) shared: "Duck meat is a traditional dish during the Doan Ngo Festival, so every year I buy duck. However, this year, because I don't have time to prepare the meat, I bought pre-prepared duck, with the price from 110,000 - 130,000 VND/duck, which I find quite reasonable."

Not only duck meat but also fruits are in high demand, prices are higher than usual. Popular fruits this season such as rambutan, lychee, plum, watermelon... are consumed strongly.

Rambutan is consumed strongly during the Dragon Boat Festival. Photo: Quang An

Ms. Phan Thi Hong, a fruit trader, said: "Among fruits, rambutan and plum are consumed the most. Currently, rambutan costs 50,000 VND/kg, plum costs from 40,000 to 70,000 VND/kg depending on the type. Other fruits have increased from 5,000 to 10,000 VND/kg compared to normal days."

Although prices have increased, according to the reporter's records, people's purchasing power has not decreased. Not only duck meat and fruit, but other items such as vermicelli, betel, chrysanthemums, etc. are also in demand by many people.

By late afternoon, many stalls selling fruit and duck for the Duanwu festival offerings in some markets in Vinh city were "sold out".

Noodle and cake shops are also selling better than usual. Photo: Quang An

In the subconscious of Vietnamese people, Doan Ngo festival is also known as insect extermination festival. Vietnamese people believe that there are often insects in the digestive system, if not killed, they will reproduce more and more and affect health.

Folklore has it that certain foods can kill insects. Northerners often kill insects as soon as they wake up in the morning and kill insects with food, especially sticky rice wine, ash cakes, and fruits…

People in the Central and Southern regions have banh ú lá tre or banh tro with ingredients also being sticky rice, mung beans and a few other ingredients.