VOA文化艺术2024--Dong Tao Chicken, Food of Choice for Lunar New Year

Dong Tao Chicken, Food of Choice for Lunar New Year

　　Dong Tao chicken has been a food of choice for generations in Vietnam for the Lunar New Year, or Tet.

　　The rare bird is known for its strangely large feet. It is also known as a "dragon chicken." The chicken gets its name from the village of Dong Tao, about 30 kilometers southeast of Hanoi.

　　Dong Tao chickens are believed to bring good luck and wealth to their owners. At one point, they were only bred¹ to serve meat for the royal families and officials.

　　Today, demand for Dong Tao chicken in Vietnam has risen sharply². That demand comes from a growing number of wealthy people in one of Asia's fastest-growing economies.

　　Le Trong Dung is a chicken farmer in the village of Dong Tao. He told Reuters that a fully-grown Dong Tao chicken at one year old sells for $200 and sometimes as much as $400.

　　The demand for Dong Tao chicken is also fueled by its rich taste.

　　Loc Duc Toan is a 25-year-old cook in Hanoi. Toan said a Dong Tao chicken has its best taste at the age of 13 to 15 months. "When steamed, the skin will be crispy with a fragrant³ aroma⁴ of its own and a sweeter meat compared to other normal chicken," Toan said.

　　Nguyen Thi Hong Nhung is a chicken farmer, She said the most valuable parts of Dong Tao chickens are its legs.

　　Their large legs make it difficult for them to hatch⁵ from their eggs. Sometimes, they can accidentally⁶ break their eggs.

　　It takes about a year to raise a Dong Tao chicken, compared to three months for other kinds.

　　The chickens are now also raised beyond the village of Dong Tao. That means more people may have the chance to buy a Dong Tao chicken. But Phan Van Hieu, a Dong Tao agriculture official, said chickens raised in the village and fed with its native rice and corn have the best taste.

　　"Production hasn't met domestic⁷ demand yet," Hieu added. "I'm sure you won't find any Dong Tao chicken in any KFC restaurants in [the] foreseeable future."

　　Words in This Story

　　fragrant - adj. having a pleasant and usually sweet smell

　　aroma - n. an usually please smell

　　domestic - adj. relating to your own country

1 bred   

生育( breed的过去式和过去分词 )； 繁殖； 孕育； 导致

参考例句：

• a well-bred young lady 一位有教养的少女
• Both the twin brothers were born and bred in London. 这对双胞胎兄弟是在伦敦长大的。

2 sharply   

adj.锐利地，急速；adv.严厉地，鲜明地

参考例句：

• The plane dived sharply and rose again.飞机猛然俯冲而后又拉了起来。
• Demand for personal computers has risen sharply.对个人电脑的需求急剧增长。

3 fragrant   

adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的

参考例句：

• The Fragrant Hills are exceptionally beautiful in late autumn.深秋的香山格外美丽。
• The air was fragrant with lavender.空气中弥漫薰衣草香。

4 aroma   

n.香气，芬芳，芳香

参考例句：

• The whole house was filled with the aroma of coffee.满屋子都是咖啡的香味。
• The air was heavy with the aroma of the paddy fields.稻花飘香。

5 hatch   

n.孵化，舱口；vt.孵，孵出，策划；vi. 孵化

参考例句：

• No one knows how the new plan will hatch out.谁也不知道这新方案将怎样制订出来。
• The bird mistook the pebble for egg and tried to hatch it.这只鸟错把卵石当蛋，想去孵它。

6 accidentally   

adv.偶然地；意外地

参考例句：

• Mary accidentally let out that her mother had telephoned.玛丽无意中说出她的母亲来过电话。
• As I turned around,I accidentally hit him in the face.我转身时不经意撞了他的脸。

7 domestic   

adj.家里的，国内的，本国的；n.家仆，佣人

参考例句：

• This is domestic news.这是国内新闻。
• She does the domestic affairs every day.她每天都忙家务。