Peking Duck: A Culinary Journey Through Chinese Cuisine

Chinese cuisine is renowned for its distinct separation between main and side dishes, refined cooking techniques, and focus on flavor and nutrition, setting it apart from other cuisines worldwide. Chinese cooking places importance on multi-level seasoning, coordinating cooking methods and temperatures, as well as emphasizing knife skills and the creation of sauces, juices, pastes, gravies, and combinations of raw ingredients.

The classic Chinese work, 'Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine,' systematically summarized knowledge and experience in cooking and healthcare before the Warring States period. It explored the relationship between ancient Chinese cooking, raw material technology, dietary structure, dietary systems and methods, taste, and health. With the increasing health consciousness of the Chinese people, the structure of the Chinese diet has significantly changed.

Another notable feature of Chinese cuisine is the emphasis on atmosphere, focusing on reunion, liveliness, and harmony. Now, I would like to introduce the process of making and enjoying roast duck, a dish commonly served by Chinese people when entertaining guests or celebrating festivals.

Roast duck, a famous dish from Beijing, is renowned for its unique flavor. It was initially created by a chef who served the Ming Emperor and later introduced to the public by a retired Ming imperial chef. In 1835, Yang Quanren, a native of Hebei Province, began selling roasted chickens and ducks in Beijing. Thirty years later, he opened a roast duck shop named Quanjude outside the Qianmen Gate. His roast duck gained popularity due to the use of the roasting method from the imperial kitchen. He eventually started using a new breed of duck called Peking duck, which grows quickly and has thin skin and tender meat. He further improved the roasting method by using a hanging oven roast instead of smothering the duck, resulting in a fresher-tasting duck, and Quanjude quickly gained fame.

Now, let's discuss the process of roasting duck. First, the duck needs to be opened, de-feathered, scalded, and dried. When roasting the duck, it is best to use the trunk of a fruit tree as fuel to impart a fragrant flavor. The oven should be maintained at a specific temperature, and the duck should be turned regularly to ensure even roasting. Typically, the duck is roasted for fifty minutes and is considered done when it reaches a dark red color. When it is time to eat, the cook brings the whole duck to the table, removes it, and cuts it into thin slices, including both the skin and meat. The duck meat is then dipped in a sweet noodle sauce with white onion and eaten with a thin noodle pancake or sesame seed baklava.

In June 1993, 'Quanjude' Roast Duck Restaurant began offering fast food options for roast duck to cater to different consumer preferences.