The mountainous region of Binh Lieu, Quang Ninh possesses unique cultural colors, stunning natural landscapes, and numerous specialties rich in ethnic identity. Among them, the famous Binh Lieu black duck is an absolute highlight.
Savoring the sweet and fragrant Binh Lieu black duck specialty
Binh Lieu black duck is an indigenous Muscovy duck breed featuring entirely jet-black plumage and high disease resistance. Black ducks are raised in almost all communes and towns across Binh Lieu District. In the past, each household only raised a few birds for the Lunar New Year, the new rice festival, transplanting, harvesting, or to treat distinguished guests…
Jet-black duck breed. Photo: Bao Quang Ninh.
Nowadays, Binh Lieu black ducks are raised in larger numbers and therefore appear more frequently in daily meals, becoming a specialty dish at restaurants and hotels in Quang Ninh, highly favored by travelers.
Black ducks are raised entirely through natural methods, without using growth-promoting feed. They roam freely across harvested rice paddies, feeding on leftover grains after the harvest season. Growing up on natural forage supplemented with paddy rice, corn, cassava, and greens, their meat is firm, sweet, and clean.
Photo: luichis.com.
Due to free-range grazing, the black duck’s growth cycle is slow; it usually takes from 8 months onward for them to mature, reaching a weight of 2kg to 4kg. When mature, black ducks are strong fliers and can fly quite far at high speeds.
Binh Lieu black duck is often prepared into diverse dishes such as glass noodle soup, boiled duck, stir-fried with lemongrass and chili, salads, duck simmered with bamboo shoots, and curry stir-fried duck…
“Dinosaur Spine” in the borderlands of Binh Lieu. Photo: Nguyen Khai Trung.
To make boiled duck, it is best to choose ducks weighing from about 2kg and up. The best are female ducks preparing to lay eggs, as they have small bones and thick meat.
Before boiling, pluck the feathers clean and wash the duck with white salt, rice wine, or ginger to eliminate any gamey odor. Then, crush ginger and lemongrass to stuff inside the duck’s cavity, add a tablespoon of coarse salt, submerge completely in a pot of water, cover with a lid, and boil over high heat.
Many streams are suitable for free-ranging black ducks. Illustrative photo: N.H.
When the water boils, uncover the pot to skim off the foam, boil for about 10 minutes, then flip the duck to the other side and simmer for another 10 minutes; poke chopsticks into the duck’s thigh—if no pink liquid comes out, the duck is cooked. Take the cooked duck out, let it cool, and chop into bite-sized pieces. The duck broth can be used to cook canna glass noodle soup or porridge as an accompaniment, which is both rich and naturally sweet.
Boiled duck. Illustrative photo: vaobepcungban.
When cooked, black duck meat turns dark brown with firm fibers, releasing a distinctive aroma where one can easily savor the natural sweetness of the meat alongside the fragrance of ginger and lemongrass. Boiled black duck is served dipped in soy sauce with garlic or ginger fish sauce mixed with finely chopped cilantro.
To prepare the stir-fried black duck dish (xao lan), skillfully debone the lean meat, cut into thin slices, and marinate with lemongrass, chili, and salt for 15-20 minutes to absorb the flavors thoroughly. Heat cooking oil in a pan until hot, sauté minced lemongrass along with shallots and garlic until fragrant and golden, then add the duck meat and stir-fry until firm and aromatic.
Stir-fried black duck (xao lan). Photo: quangninh.gov.vn.
When preparing dishes from Binh Lieu black duck, locals always cook the giblets together with local canna glass noodles using traditional methods. The recipe is simple and rustic, yet the chewy texture of the canna noodles combined with the sweetness of the duck giblets satisfies even the most discerning foodies.
Binh Lieu canna glass noodles. Photo: wyndhamhalong.
Nestled among the rolling mountains of northeastern Quang Ninh, dishes made from Binh Lieu black duck always captivate travelers who love culinary journeys. Check out many useful articles on the iVIVU blog daily to make your trip truly complete!
