Beijing Kao Ya (Peking Duck)
Eating only the skin is wrong! Beijing's Emperor Roasted Duck Baked in Fruit Tree Firewood
Description
The absolute pinnacle of world-famous Chinese cuisine. While Japanese often mistakenly believe 'only the skin is eaten', authentic Peking Duck (like at Quanjude) carves the crispy skin attached to the juicy meat. The duck is hung and roasted over fruitwood (jujube/apple) fire, then wrapped in thin pancakes with sweet bean sauce and scallions. The ultimate Imperial dish.
Restaurants serving Beijing Kao Ya (Peking Duck)
Researching
We are researching restaurants that serve this dish.
On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Whole duck
- Maltose syrup
- Bao Bing(Wheat pancakes)
- Sweet bean sauce(Tian Mian Jiang)
- Scallion
- Cucumber
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe & Differences]
- (Duck Prep) Use specially raised ducks. Remove innards, and pump air between the skin and meat to balloon it, separating the skin.
- Blanch with boiling water to tighten the skin, then heavily baste the entire body repeatedly with maltose syrup.
- Hang in a breezy place for days until the skin dries rock-hard like glass.
- (Wood-fire Roasting) Hang the duck in a massive brick oven (Gua Lu). MUST use 'fruitwood (jujube/apple)' for fuel. Roast over open fire for 40-
- mins, rotating continuously.
- Smoked by the sweet fruitwood, the fat renders, and the skin glows a brilliant amber.
- (Carving) The chef carves it tableside into exactly
- slices, keeping skin and meat together.
- Wrap in paper-thin steamed wheat pancakes (Bao Bing) with sweet bean sauce, julienned scallions, and cucumber.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Smoky aroma of fruitwood and rich depth of sweet bean sauce、甜麺醤の濃厚なコク
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
(Buy commercial roast duck, wrap in spring roll skins with sweet bean sauce)
Pairing
Shaoxing Wine / Jasmine Tea
Trivia
[Trivia] Originally roasted in the Nanjing court, it moved to Beijing during the Ming Dynasty, evolving into the current 'Gua Lu' (hanging oven) style. The artisan's carving technique (Pian Ya) is an art form. It is the absolute treasure of Chinese cuisine, maintaining crispy skin without drying the meat.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] The first few slices of the 'crispiest breast skin' are dipped purely in white sugar, melting instantly in your mouth. Afterward, smear sweet bean sauce on the pancake, add scallion, cucumber, and duck, roll it up, and bite. The remaining bones are boiled into a premium cloudy soup.
Allergen
Wheat, Poultry (Duck), Soybeans, Wheat (Sauce)