Chicken is a popular food, used a lot in daily meals. It also appears on the banquet table during important holidays, on the Tet holiday tray. Chicken meat provides a lot of fat, protein, phosphorus, iron, albumin, vitamins A, B1, B2, C, E. This is a food that the body can easily digest and absorb nutrients.

Except for having to use roosters in ceremonies, surely not many people write about the difference in taste between rooster and hen meat.

Which is better for rooster and hen meat?

Rooster and hen meat will have some differences in taste. Normally, hen meat will be softer than rooster meat, especially young hen meat. Hens that have laid 1-2 litters still have tender and delicious meat. However, the more litters the hen lays, the tougher, blander and less delicious the meat becomes. If you accidentally buy an old hen, you will need to cook it longer to make the meat soft and easy to eat.

You should choose a hen weighing about 1.8-2.5kg/chicken. Chickens under 1.8kg are often loose and soft.

Compared to hens, rooster meat will be firmer. Boiled rooster meat will not be as soft as hen meat. However, rooster meat will go well with dishes such as lemongrass and chili stir-fried chicken, braised chicken, etc. Note that rooster meat that has been mated for a long time will have meat that is just as tough as that of a hen that has laid many litters.

In addition, the breed of chicken, age, care and raising conditions, and food of the chicken also determine the deliciousness of the chicken meat.

Depending on your preferences, you can choose a hen or a rooster to prepare the dish. In particular, in the offerings, you must definitely choose a rooster.

Tips for choosing delicious chicken

- For live chickens

If you buy a rooster, you should choose those with bright red combs, flexible eyes, and firm meat. Hold two chickens of the same size in your hand, the one that feels heavier will have firmer meat.

The chicken's feathers must be smooth, the beak sharp, the legs straight and slender. Observe the chicken's leg skin to see if it has an even, shiny color, and short spurs. Do not buy chickens with a slimy beak because they are sick. If the spurs are long, it is an old chicken, and the meat will be tough.

The crop should not be tight.

If choosing a hen, it must have a bright red comb, flexible eyes, yellow breast skin, and dark yellow wing skin. You should choose a chicken with small legs and a long beak. Observe the beak, if the tip of the beak is blunt, it is a sign that the chicken often goes out to find food, pecks a lot of gravel, and is allowed to run a lot. Observe the tail float, if it is large, it is a sign that the chicken lays a lot of eggs.

- For ready-to-eat chickens

You should choose chickens with light yellow, thin, smooth skin. Pressing your hand on the chicken's body, you will see that the meat is highly elastic, soft and moist but not slimy. Local chickens usually have a compact body, firm meat, and narrow breast. A good chicken will have a slightly darker yellow skin on the breast, wings, and back than the rest of the area.

Observe the chicken's neck and see if there are bruises or small red bumps, then you should not buy it because that is a sign of a sick chicken.

To avoid buying water-injected chicken, warm your hand on areas such as the thighs and breast of the chicken to check. If the meat is mushy, slippery, flabby, or deformed, it may be that the chicken has been injected with water to increase its weight.