Quang Ninh is a land of sea, forests, hills and mountains, and fertile plains. As a result, it boasts a rich culinary heritage with many delicious dishes. Tien Yen chicken hotpot cooked with rice wine lees is one such specialty!
Visit Quang Ninh to Enjoy Delicious and Nutritious Tien Yen Chicken Hotpot Cooked with Rice Wine Lees
When it comes to Quang Ninh cuisine, besides fresh seafood, Tien Yen chicken is also a specialty immortalized in the saying “Mong Cai pork – Dam Ha girls – Tien Yen chicken.”
Tien Yen is about 70km from Ha Long City. The district is predominantly hilly and mountainous, making it suitable for raising poultry and livestock in natural surroundings. As a result, Tien Yen chicken is famous far and wide, a specialty with the distinctive flavor of this region.
Tien Yen chicken, a native free-range breed. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
Tien Yen chicken belongs to the local hill-chicken and bearded-chicken breeds; hens have a distinctive tuft of long feathers beneath their beaks. The rustic, healthy and nature-friendly farming method is the secret behind the chickens’ firm meat.
Characteristics of the Tien Yen chicken breed. Photo: Ethnicities and Development Newspaper.
People in Tien Yen raise their chickens free-range, allowing them to roam freely around the area and forage for ants, termites, crickets… As a result, the meat is fragrant and sweet, with little fat, and the skin is thick, golden and crispy.
Tien Yen chicken can be prepared in many different ways: boiled, steamed with salt, grilled, cooked in ginger rice wine soup, prepared with traditional Chinese herbs… and, of course, there is also hotpot of Tien Yen chicken cooked with rice wine lees, a familiar dish with an exceptionally unique taste.
Boiled Tien Yen chicken with crispy golden skin and sweet meat. Illustrative photo: Culture Newspaper.
The ingredients for this dish are all familiar: rice wine lees, ginger, shallots, shiitake mushrooms, chili… The seasonings include satay, pork marrow bones for the broth, seasoning powder and sugar. There are also various vegetables served with the hotpot, such as scallions, cordyceps mushrooms, water spinach, napa cabbage and Vietnamese coriander…
The delicious flavor of this hotpot comes from the bowl of rice wine lees made from yellow-flower glutinous rice, a type similar to the fermented sticky rice commonly enjoyed during the Double Fifth Festival on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month.
Appetizing boiled chicken. Illustrative photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
The Tien Yen chicken is cleaned and chopped into bite-sized pieces. The shallots and ginger are finely sliced. The shiitake mushrooms are halved. The chicken is then marinated with half a bowl of fermented sticky rice, shallots, ginger, seasoning powder and sugar for about 30 minutes.
Roasted Tien Yen chicken. Illustrative photo: Culture Newspaper.
While waiting for the chicken to absorb the seasonings, the hotpot broth is prepared. The broth is simmered from pork marrow bones, with a small bowl of rice wine lees, the remaining half bowl of fermented sticky rice and seasoning powder added.
When the hotpot broth is bubbling vigorously, the marinated chicken, shiitake mushrooms and cordyceps mushrooms are added. After a few minutes, it is ready to enjoy. Once finished, the chicken hotpot has a beautiful golden color from the cordyceps mushrooms.
Ingredients for cooking the hotpot. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
With Tien Yen chicken hotpot cooked with rice wine lees, it is especially delicious when served with a dipping sauce made from soy sauce, sesame oil and several other seasonings, enhancing the appeal of the dish.
The hotpot broth is fragrant and rich with the aroma of glutinous rice wine, with a deep sweetness and a tingling spiciness on the tip of the tongue. The chicken is firm and the skin is crispy; dipping it in the sauce makes it even more enticing. Besides being delicious, this hotpot is also highly nutritious, making it suitable for postpartum women or people suffering from a cold, sneezing or a runny nose. A bowl of the hotpot broth can help you feel lighter and restore the body’s energy.
The hotpot’s beautiful golden color. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
Tien Yen chicken hotpot with sour bamboo shoots. Illustrative photo: nhahangquatram.
Tien Yen chicken hotpot cooked with rice wine lees is made with the famous delicious chicken of this mountainous district in Quang Ninh Province, offering an enticing taste to discerning diners from all over. Follow iVIVU’s blog for more useful new articles and a wonderful holiday!
