Peking Duck — Iconic Fruitwood Roast of Beijing Cuisine
With its glossy, crispy skin wrapped in a thin pancake and sweet bean sauce, one bite of Peking Duck delivers an audible crackle — a royal feast that lets you savor the grandeur of Beijing cuisine!
1. Origin and History
Peking Duck dates back to the imperial banquets of the Ming and Qing dynasties, once reserved as a delicacy for the royal family. The traditional open-oven roasting method was perfected by Quanjude, while the closed-oven roasting style is represented by Bianyifang, both boasting over 600 years of culinary heritage.
2. Cultural Significance
For Beijingers, Peking Duck is more than just food. Serving a duck feast to honored guests symbolizes respect and sincerity. Watching a master chef slice the duck with precision is also a fascinating culinary performance in itself.
3. Ingredient Highlights
Only plump Beijing ducks weighing about 2.5–3 kg are chosen. The key lies in roasting them over fruitwood such as jujube or pear wood, which infuses the meat with a delicate smoky sweetness. Before roasting, the duck is meticulously prepared through steps like inflating the skin, blanching.
4. Cooking Process
The roasting process is extremely meticulous: the duck is roasted over an open fruitwood fire for about 50 minutes in a specially designed oven. The duck is constantly rotated to ensure even heating. It’s only ready when the skin turns a deep mahogany red, becoming crispy and glistening while the meat stays juicy and tender.
5. Flavor and Texture
The crispy duck skin is unforgettable—light, crackling, and infused with the aroma of fruitwood. The meat is juicy and succulent, rich yet never greasy. The most classic way to enjoy it is to dip the crispy skin in sugar, letting the sweetness and crunch melt together in your mouth.
6. How to Eat It
The authentic way to eat it: Take a thin pancake, place two slices of duck meat with crispy skin, add cucumber sticks and shredded scallions, smear on some sweet bean sauce, then roll it up and take a bite. The soft pancake, crunchy skin, tender meat, and sweet-savory sauce create a perfect harmony of textures and flavors.
7. Where to Try It
Here are the best restaurants to taste authentic Peking Duck: Quanjude (open-oven roasted), Bianyifang (closed-oven roasted), Siji Minfu (with scenic views), and Da Dong (modern creative style). Expect to spend around 150–300 RMB per person. When ordering, simply say “Yì zhī kǎoyā” (“One roast duck, please”), and the chef will carve it tableside — one duck usually yields about 108 slices.
8. Travel Tips
The English name for 北京烤鸭 is “Peking Duck.” The best time to enjoy it is within 15 minutes of roasting, when the skin is at its crispiest. Besides eating it with pancakes, the leftover duck bones can be turned into salt-and-pepper duck bones or duck soup.
9. Easy Home Version
You can even try a simple home-style version: Brush the duck skin with honey water and roast at 200 °C (392 °F) in an oven for 40 minutes, flipping halfway. Use spring roll wrappers as a substitute for pancakes, and mix store-bought sweet bean sauce with a bit of sugar and sesame oil.
It’s not just a dish — it’s a feast for the eyes, ears, nose, and taste buds. Add it to your must-eat list when visiting Beijing, and let this crispy, fragrant Peking Duck become your most delicious memory of Beijing’s culinary heritage!
