The famous Peking Roast Duck
is the best way to sample the tantalizing Chinese cuisine and also to understand
the culture, customs and the vivid history of Beijing and China.
The Peking Roast Duck can be compared to the European traditional ware of
roast goose and it is believed that the recipe originated from the culture
brought to the East by explorers such as Marco Polo- with which the tradition of
offering roasted poultry to one's guests began way back during the Yuan Dynasty.
Other facts lead us through a different history as records indicate the
actually recipe was used in the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420 – 589) and
that it was a popular recipe in Jinling, now known as Nanjing. And it is
believed that the as the Yuan Dynasty moved their main city to Beijing the
recipe followed to become a popular dish in the capital, with the added flavours
of the city itself.
The ideal bird roasted in this manner features a delectable shining reddish
coat – a crispy outer skin and tender textures inside. And most of the eateries
in town offer an All Duck Banquet, the mains being the roast duck and side
dishes being complimenting accompaniments made with duck stock – a complete
meal.
The original recipe, after being transformed in to the imperial delicacy,
required for a special breed of bird. With the main ingredient being the White
Beijing duck new methods of preparation were also introduced. Today, the
established method of preparation involves roasting of the bird, which is primed
by essentially cleaning and plucking, filing the body cavity with water, air
drying and brushing the skin with sugar, in a large oven. The roasting is done
using smokeless hardwood fuel and the poultry is frequently turned to ensure
even roasting.
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