Peking duck
A Beijing dish with crispy skin, served since the Imperial era.
Peking duck, a dish originating in Beijing, has been made since the imperial era. Its defining feature is thin, crispy skin; in authentic preparations, the cook slices mostly skin with little meat in front of the diners. Specially bred ducks are slaughtered at 65 days old, seasoned, and then roasted in either a closed or hung oven. The meat is commonly eaten with spring onion, cucumber, and sweet bean sauce, all rolled up in pancakes.
Roasting ducks in China dates back to the Southern and Northern dynasties. During the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty, a version of roast duck was prepared for the emperor. This dish, originally called "shāo yāzi," appeared in the 1330 manual *Complete Recipes for Dishes and Beverages* by imperial kitchen inspector Hu Sihui. The Peking roast duck associated with the term was fully developed in the later Ming dynasty, becoming a staple on imperial court menus. The first restaurant specializing in Peking duck, Bianyifang, opened in 1416 near Qianmen in Beijing. By the Qianlong period (1736–1796) of the Qing dynasty, its popularity had spread to the upper classes, inspiring poets and scholars; one Beijing poem urged, "Fill your plates with roast duck and suckling pig." In 1864, the Quanjude restaurant was founded, and its founder, Yang Quanren, developed the hung oven for roasting. By the mid-20th century, Peking duck had become a national symbol of China, favored by tourists and diplomats. During U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger’s secret 1971 visit to Beijing, he was served Peking duck for lunch after inconclusive talks, and it became his favorite dish. The following day, a joint statement invited President Nixon to visit China in 1972. After Premier Zhou Enlai’s death in 1976, Kissinger returned to Beijing specifically to savor the dish. Political leaders from Fidel Castro to Helmut Kohl have also enjoyed Peking duck, particularly at Quanjude, and it remains a feature of official state banquets. Two centuries-old Beijing restaurants, Quanjude and Bianyifang, are household names for this dish, each with its own style: Quanjude uses the hung oven, while Bianyifang uses the older closed oven method. Peking duck is a representative of gourmet Chinese food and a key experience for many foreign politicians and tourists.
The ducks originally used for Peking duck came from Nanjing; they were large, black-feathered, and lived in canals. When the capital moved to Beijing, supply barges created habitats for these ducks, and a new breed was domesticated. Newly hatched ducks are raised free-range for 45 days, then force-fed four times daily for 15–20 days, reaching 5–7 kilograms. (Another source specifies ducks should be at least 3.25 kilograms, with over 5.5 millimeters of subcutaneous fat, a well-developed chest, and at least 5.0% intramuscular fat.) This force-feeding gave the duck the alternate name "Peking stuffed duck." Force-feeding is necessary due to the ducks’ slow growth and traditional fat requirements, but it leads to about 20% dead or unusable ducks and poor feed conversion, as a duck normally eats 200 grams of food daily but is forced to swallow 600 grams. Newer broiler-type Peking duck breeds mature without force-feeding, reducing animal suffering and labor: one worker can raise 500 force-fed ducks or 5,000 non-force-fed ones. Two main breeds exist: a fattier type for traditional taste and a leaner type with large chest muscles for younger palates. The lean type matures in 40 days, reaches 3.2 kilograms, and has better feed conversion. As of 2021, at least 95% of ducks used in Beijing needed no force-feeding.
To cook the duck, fattened ducks are killed, plucked, eviscerated, and rinsed. Air is pumped under the skin through the neck cavity to separate it from the fat. The duck is then blanched in boiling water for two to three minutes to tighten the skin, hung to dry, and glazed with a syrup of honey. The inside is rinsed again with water, then a second glaze of soy sauce, five-spice powder, and more maltose is applied inside and out. The duck is left to stand for 24 hours in a cool, dry place, then roasted until the skin turns shiny brown. Besides the two traditional roasting methods, recipes have also been compiled.
- Origin
- Beijing, China
- Cooking methods
- Closed oven and open (hung) oven
- Key ingredient
- Duck bred for the dish, slaughtered at 65 days
Lore & Background
Ducks have been roasted in China since the Southern and Northern dynasties, and a variation of roast duck was prepared for the emperor during the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The dish now known as Peking duck was fully developed during the later Ming dynasty, becoming a main item on imperial court menus. The first restaurant specializing in Peking duck opened in Beijing in 1416. During the Qing dynasty’s Qianlong period, its popularity spread to the upper classes, inspiring poets and scholars. In 1864, the Quanjude restaurant was founded, whose owner developed the hung oven method for roasting. By the mid-20th century, Peking duck had become a national symbol of China, favored by tourists and diplomats; it was served to Henry Kissinger during his secret 1971 visit, and later became a favorite of political leaders including Fidel Castro and Helmut Kohl. The dish’s defining characteristic is its thin, crispy skin, with authentic versions serving mostly skin and little meat, sliced before diners by the cook. Ducks bred for the dish are slaughtered after 65 days, seasoned, and roasted in a closed or hung oven. The meat is commonly eaten with spring onion, cucumber, and sweet bean sauce, rolled in pancakes. Two main restaurants in Beijing, Quanjude and Bianyifang, are centuries-old household names, each with a distinct style: Quanjude uses the hung oven, while Bianyifang uses the older closed oven technique.
Reader's Guide
Peking duck is one of the representatives of gourmet Chinese food and has become an essential experience for many foreign politicians and tourists. Two notable restaurants in Beijing, Quanjude and Bianyifang, are centuries-old establishments with distinct styles: Quanjude uses the hung oven roasting method, while Bianyifang uses the older closed oven technique. The dish's preparation involves force-feeding ducks for 15–20 days to achieve the required fat content, though newer breeds allow for non-force-fed alternatives. The cooking process includes pumping air under the skin, blanching, glazing, and roasting. The duck is traditionally carved in front of guests and served in three stages: first the skin with sugar and sweet bean sauce, then the meat with pancakes and vegetables, and finally the carved duck can be cooked in broth or stir-fried. Peking duck continues to feature in official state banquets and remains a national symbol.
Did You Know?
- Quanjude uses a hung oven, while Bianyifang uses a closed oven.
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