When you go to the Chinese restaurants in Leicester Square in London, one of your must-order dish might be Beijing Duck. And you will happily see something like the picture on the left. Then when the duck is served, you will see a few pieces roughly sliced, nothing else, and very delicious. But actually, that is not Beijing Duck, that’s Hong Kong Roast Duck.
According to the China News,the history of the roast duck can be traced back to as early as the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368) when it was listed among the imperial dishes in the Complete Recipes for Dishes and Beverages, written in 1330 by Hu Sihui, an inspector of the imperial kitchen. Details regarding the cooking process were also described in this early cookbook.
It says the first restaurant to bear the name Quanjude — the most famous Duck Restaurant in China — opened in 1864 during the reign of the Qing Emperor Tongzhi. Due to its high standards, the restaurant’s fame spread rapidly and for many years the supply of roast ducks could hardly satisfy the demand. For this reason, the restaurant was rebuilt and expanded in 1948. In 1954 a branch (known as Hongbinlou) was opened in West Chang’ an Boulevard and another in Wangfujing Street in 1959. These additions, however, still did not solve the problem, and with the opening of the Quanjude at hepingmen in 1979, it was no longer necessary to make a reservation a week in advance to taste Beijing’s most famous culinary delight.
Beijing Duck looks like something on the right. You may want to ask what is the difference? A traditional Beijing Duck should consists of 108 pieces, each piece should have 1/3 of skin, 1/3 of lean meat and 1/3 of fat. And obviously the ducks served in China Town is nothing similar to this number.
Even Discovery is trigued by Beijing Duck.
Beijing Duck
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