Peking Duck is a famous duck dish from Beijing that has been prepared since the imperial era, and is now considered as one of Chinese national foods.
The dish is prized for the thin, crisp skin, with authentic versions of the dish serving mostly the skin and little meat, sliced in front of the diners by the cook. Ducks bred specially for the dish, are slaughtered after 65 days and seasoned before being roasted in a closed or hung oven. The meat is eaten with pancakes, scallion, hoisin sauce and sweat bean sauce. Two of the most notable restaurants in Beijing which serve this delicacy are Quanjude and Bianyifang, two centuries-old establishments which have become household names.
Fattened ducks are slaughtered, plucked, eviscerated and rinsed thoroughly with water. Air is pumped under the skin through the neck cavity to separate the skin through the neck cavity to separate the skin from the fat. The duck is then soaked in boiling water for a short while before it is hung up to dry. While it is hung up to dry. While it is hung, the duck is glazed with a layer of maltose syrup, and the innards are rinsed once more with water. Having been left to stand for 24 hours, the duck is roasted in an oven until it turns shiny brown.
Peking Duck is traditionally roasted in either a closed oven or hung oven. The closed oven is built of brick and fitted with metal griddles. The oven is preheated by burning Gaoliang wood at the base. The duck is placed in the oven immediately after the fire burns out, allowing the meat to be slowly cooked through the convection of heat within the oven.
The hung oven was developed in the imperial kitchens during the Qing Dynasty and adopted by the Quanjude restaurant chain. It is designed to roast up to 20 ducks at the same time with an open fire fuelled by hardwood from peach or pear trees. The ducks are hung on hooks above the fire and roasted at a temperature of 270℃(525℉) for 30~40 minutes. While the ducks are cooking, the chef may use a pole to dangle each duck closer to the fire for 30 second intervals. Almost every part of a duck can be cooked the bones of ducks with vegetables.
Besides the traditional methods to prepare Peking Duck, recipes have been compiled by chefs around the world to produce the dish at home.
北京烤鸭所用的原料是肥大的填鸭，技术工人每天定时用小麦面和其他营养物调好的饲料，一团团地塞进鸭子食道中，鸭子几乎不会自己进食了，即为“填鸭”，由此也衍生出“填鸭式教学”这种说法。烤鸭烤制可分为两种——挂炉烤鸭和焖炉烤鸭，都是用黑木炭火烤制，制出的鸭子外观饱满，颜色呈枣皮红色，外焦里嫩，肉质细嫩，味道醇厚，肥而不腻，并带有一股果木的清香。细品起来，滋味更加美妙。
北京烤鸭的历史
Duck has been roasted in China since the Southern and Northern Dynasties. A variation of roast duck was prepared for the Emperor of China in the Yuan Dynasty. The dish, originally named “Shaoyazi” was mentioned in the Complete Recipes for Dishes and Beverages manual in 1330 by Hu Sihui who was an inspector of the imperial kitchen. The Peking Roast Duck that came to associated with the term was fully developed during the later Ming Dynasty, and by then, Peking Duck was one of the main dishes on imperial court menus. The first restaurant specializing in Pexking Duck, Bianyifang, was established in the Xianyukou, Qianmen area of Beijing in 1416.
By the Qianlong Period（1736-1796）of the Qing Dynasty, the popularity of Peking Duck spread to the upper classes, inspiring poety from poets and scholars who enjoyed the dish. For instance, one of the verses of Duan Zhu Zhi Ci, a collection of Beijing poems was, “Fill your plates with roast duck and sucking pig”. In 1864, the Quanjude restaurant was established in Beijing. Yang Quanren, the founder of Quanjude, developed the hung oven to roast ducks. With its innovations and efficient management, the restaurant become well known in China, which introduced the Peking Duck to the rest of the world.
By the mid-20th century, Peking Duck had become a national symbol in China, favored by tourists and diplomats alike. For example, Henry Kissinger, the Secretary of State of the United States, met Premier Zhou Enlai in the Great Hall of the People on July 10, during his first visit to China. After a round of inconclusive talks in the morning, the delegation was served Peking Duck for lunch, which became Kissinger`s favorites.
北京烤鸭材料，源于千年前的辽金元历代帝王游猎所获的纯白野鸭种。到明太祖时，朱元璋有“日食烤鸭一只”的喜好。新中国成立后，北京烤鸭的声誉与日俱增，更加闻名世界。据说周总理生前十分欣赏和关注这一名菜，郭燕和招待外宾必定会有北京烤鸭，从而确立了其北京形象大使的地位。
Something about Peking Duck 关于北京烤鸭
Most People would agree that Peking (or Beijing ) duck is the capital`s most famous dish. Once imperial cuisine, now the legendary duck is served at restaurants around the world.
众所周知北京烤鸭是京城最负盛名的菜肴。作为曾经的宫廷美食，这富有传奇的烤鸭如今已出现在世界各国的餐馆中。
The culinary history of Peking duck goes back as far as the Yuan dynasty, where it was listed in royal cookbooks as an imperial food.
北京烤鸭的烹饪史可以追溯到元朝，当时它作为皇家食物被列在宫廷食谱上。
Roast Beijing Duck is the most famous special dish of Beijing.
北京烤鸭是北京最著名的特色菜。
To prepare the duck, chefs go through a lengthy process.
为了制作烤鸭，厨师需要经历漫长的准备过程。
Usually, Peking Duck is eaten with pancakes, spring onions and sweet bean sauce.
通常情况下，北京烤鸭会与薄饼、葱和甜面酱一起食用。
Beijing roast duck is a famous dish, which enjoys a high reputation at home and abroad.
烤鸭是北京独特的名菜，誉满中外。
