Peking Roast Duck--World Gourmet

Beijing Roast duck is a local flavor of Beijing. It has a high reputation all over the world! Tasting the roast duck is a must thing for Visitors who come to Beijing. Beijing Roast Duck, a wolrd Gourmet. Climbing the Great Wall, enjoying Beijing Opera and savoring Beijing Duck are the three "musts" for those who visit Beijing for the first time.

The history

The history of the Roast Duck can be traced back to Yuan Dynasty(1206-1368)when it was listed among the imperial dishes in the Complete Recipes for Dishes and Beverages, written in 1330 by Hu Sihui, an inspector of the imperial kitchen. In the early 15th century, when the Ming Dynasty capital was shifted from Nanjing to Beijing, roast duck remained one of the famous dishes on imperial court menus. Then, Beijing Roast Duck comes up. During the Qianlong period (1736-1796), The roast duck is more and more popular. To satisfy the growing demand for roast duck, and also with an eye on the profits,many roast duck restaurants opened. So it also become people's favorite dish.

Cooking

Making Beijing duck needs special high skills. Crispy Beijing duck turns out brilliantly glossy after it is well roasted. The ripe duck is lacquered with  molasses, pumped wity air, filled with boiling water, dried and then roasted over a boiling fruitwood fire. The result, force-fed or not is delicious.The duck is served in stages. First comes boneless meat and crispy skin with a side dish of shallots, plum sauce and crepes, then duck soup made of bones and all the other parts except the quack.


How to eat

The unique delicacy of Beijing roast duck comes from the way it being roasted and the way it being eaten. Sit in the restaurant, seeing the cook chopping the whole duck into small pieces; one can't wait to taste this famous dish in China. The cuisine would come to your table with thin and small slices well-placed in the plate, together with condiments like sauce, pancake and so on. So, never miss the Beijing roast duck when tours in Beijing China.

There are three ways to eat Beijing Roast Duck:

1 Use the chopsticks to get some sweet sauce on the lotus leaf-made cake, then place several slice of roast duck on it, covered with green onions, cucumber or carrot, roll the leaf and one can eat directly. This is the most common way of eating roast duck.

2 Mashed Garlic, soy sauce, radish and other condiments. Garlic can cut the grease ; dip the roast duck piece into garlic, soy sauce, with a trace of spicy flavor offered.

3 Some people don't like the flavor of garlic or onions. They prefer the crispy duck skin by dipping the slice into sugar. This method is suitable for lady and children.

 It is said that the roast duck has a  high nutritious value. Many proffesional people acknowledge it. Beijing Roast Duck, a China traditional dish, a world gourmet! When you make a tour to China,remember to have a try!