Peking Duck (Beijing Kao Ya) has a reputation for being Beijing’s most delicious and famous food. The two things that everyone absolutely should do while in Beijing are climb the great Wall and sample Peking Duck. Some find the duck too greasy, while others fall in love with this age-old cuisine after the first bite.
The most famous of the restaurants specializing in Beijing Duck is Quan Ju De. They’ve been in business for over 160 years and make their own basting condiments and sauce.
Specially bred ducks are immersed in Quan Ju De’s own unique blend of condiments, then slowly roasted directly over flames stoked by fruit-tree wood. The process produces a beautiful dark red roast duck that is shining with oil and has a crisp skin on the outside.
The chef cuts the skin into bite sized squares and then cuts the tender meat into thin slices that are also bite size. The meat is served with a thin pancake that resembles a flour tortilla; only much lighter and thinner.
The correct way to eat Peking Duck is to hold the pancake in the palm of your hand and take some of the thinly sliced shallot and dip it into the deep brown sauce and place into the center of your pancake. Then you slap on some meat or skin, or both if you like, and roll-wrap it like a tortilla with one end folded up and the other end open. Eat it with your bare hands and enjoy!
Traveler’s Tip:
Chopsticks can be used to pick up the shallot, but the hands work best for everything else. There will be other items served with the meal, followed by soup made from the rest of the duck. I think they use everything but the quack.