Dishes made of Co Lung duck meat are offered in Pu Luong in Thanh Hoa. The duck is low in fat and has a unique flavor. The meat is not tainted, and when boiled, is fragrant even without spices.

The duck comes from Co Lung commune in the mountainous district of Ba Thuoc in Thanh Hoa province. This is a rare duck species which has existed for many years and has been preserved from generation to generation by Ba Thuoc’s people.

The duck has a plump body, short legs, a large neck, and a plumage color similar to that of a sparrow, with a white border around the neck.

The area where Co Lung ducks live is in the Pu Luong Nature Reserve, in the middle of the mountains of Nam Ba, Nam Muoi, Pha Le and Pu Luong with cool weather year round.

The ducks live in a fresh environment with clear and clean streams and natural food, such as snails, small fish and shrimp. Co Lung ducks have a very special taste unlike other duck species.

Pu Luong has become a famous tourism site in recent years. Many resorts, restaurants and community sites have been established, attracting domestic and foreign travelers. 

Co Lung ducks have been selling well, but are expensive, at VND100,000-120,000 per kilogram, and sometimes at VND150,000. The prices are equal to that of free-range chicken, also a specialty.

The owner of a resort in Pu Luong said Co Lung ducks are becoming more expensive as they are now better known. 

Lo Van Huyen, head of Hieu Hamlet, one of the most famous tourism villages in Pu Luong, said in recent years, people have raised more ducks for sale as demand is high.

Previously, Co Lung ducks were bred in small quantities by Ba Thuoc’s people. The ducks mostly ate maize and rice in rice fields, or tiny fish and shrimp, and they were sold after four months of raising.

However, the ducks have been hybridized, and purebred ducks are fewer in number. Fortunately, some farms in Thanh Hoa have restored Co Lung purebred ducks.

With a total of 120 Co Lung ducks, Truong Tien Hai in Quang Thanh ward in Thanh Hoa City has restored purebred ducks. 

He owns tens of thousands of Co Lung ducks and earns VND300-400 million a year from Co Lung duck raising.

The precious ducks are bred not only in Ba Thuoc but also in other districts in Thanh Hoa.

Hanh Nguyen