[ti:Dong Tao Chicken, Food of Choice for Lunar New Year]
[by:www.21voa.com]
[00:00.00]更多听力请访问21VOA.COM
[00:00.00]Dong Tao chicken has been a food of choice
[00:05.67]for generations in Vietnam for the Lunar New Year, or Tet.
[00:11.87]The rare bird is known for its strangely large feet.
[00:16.81]It is also known as a "dragon chicken."
[00:20.75]The chicken gets its name from the village of Dong Tao,
[00:25.62]about 30 kilometers southeast of Hanoi.
[00:30.38]Dong Tao chickens are believed
[00:33.56]to bring good luck and wealth to their owners.
[00:37.55]At one point, they were only bred to serve meat
[00:42.40]for the royal families and officials.
[00:45.22]Today, demand for Dong Tao chicken in Vietnam
[00:49.34]has risen sharply.
[00:51.64]That demand comes
[00:53.42]from a growing number of wealthy people
[00:55.82]in one of Asia's fastest-growing economies.
[01:00.43]Le Trong Dung is a chicken farmer
[01:04.13]in the village of Dong Tao.
[01:06.53]He told Reuters that a fully-grown Dong Tao chicken
[01:11.12]at one year old sells for $200
[01:15.57]and sometimes as much as $400.
[01:20.23]The demand for Dong Tao chicken
[01:23.52]is also fueled by its rich taste.
[01:27.27]Loc Duc Toan is a 25-year-old cook in Hanoi.
[01:32.96]Toan said a Dong Tao chicken has its best taste
[01:37.99]at the age of 13 to 15 months.
[01:42.44]"When steamed, the skin will be crispy
[01:45.90]with a fragrant aroma of its own and a sweeter meat
[01:51.18]compared to other normal chicken," Toan said.
[01:55.59]Nguyen Thi Hong Nhung is a chicken farmer,
[02:00.19]She said the most valuable parts of Dong Tao chickens are its legs.
[02:06.46]Their large legs make it difficult for them to hatch from their eggs.
[02:11.90]Sometimes, they can accidentally break their eggs.
[02:16.10]It takes about a year to raise a Dong Tao chicken,
[02:20.41]compared to three months for other kinds.
[02:24.34]The chickens are now also raised beyond the village of Dong Tao.
[02:30.32]That means more people may have the chance
[02:33.44]to buy a Dong Tao chicken.
[02:35.81]But Phan Van Hieu, a Dong Tao agriculture official,
[02:41.26]said chickens raised in the village and fed
[02:44.82]with its native rice and corn have the best taste.
[02:49.24]"Production hasn't met domestic demand yet," Hieu added.
[02:54.36]"I'm sure you won't find any Dong Tao chicken
[02:58.55]in any KFC restaurants in the foreseeable future."
[03:03.96]I'm Ashley Thompson. 更多听力请访问21VOA.COM