Peking Duck: A Feast From the Imperial Kitchen

Peking duck, or Beijing roast duck, is a dish of whole roast duck with a thin, crisp, mahogany skin. It is carved in front of diners and eaten wrapped in thin pancakes with scallions, cucumber and sweet bean sauce. It is a symbol of Beijing and of Chinese hospitality.

Roast duck has a long history in China. A fourteenth-century dietary text from the Yuan dynasty, the Yinshan Zhengyao, mentions roasted duck, and during the Ming dynasty, when the capital moved to Beijing, roast duck was served at the imperial court. The Bianyifang restaurant, which dates its founding to 1416, is known for the “closed oven” method, while the Quanjude restaurant, founded in 1864, popularized the “hung oven” method, in which ducks are roasted over fruitwood fire in an open oven.

Preparation is lengthy. Ducks are inflated to separate skin from fat, scalded, coated with a maltose syrup and air-dried for many hours, so the skin becomes tight and crisp when roasted. The duck is roasted until the skin is glossy and amber, and carved into small slices, each ideally with a bit of skin and meat.

The dish gained world fame when Western visitors, including United States officials during the 1970s opening of relations with China, were served Peking duck at banquets. It is now made in Chinese restaurants worldwide, and Beijing has duck restaurants of every kind, from historic names to modern chefs’ restaurants.

The story in more depth

Eating Peking duck is a ritual. Diners place a thin wheat pancake in the palm, add a piece of duck, a few strips of scallion and cucumber and a dab of sweet bean sauce, then roll and eat it with the hands. In some restaurants, the skin alone is served first, dipped in sugar. A second course may be a soup or stir-fry made from the leftover carcass, so nothing is wasted.

The duck itself is a special breed, the Pekin duck (White Pekin), a breed that has been raised near Beijing for centuries. Pekin ducks were taken to Long Island, New York, in 1873, and are now the main duck breed raised for meat in the United States. Beijing’s duck restaurants range from historic institutions to small hutong places, and chefs elsewhere make their own versions, such as crispy aromatic duck in British Chinese restaurants.

A timeline

• 1330: A Yuan-dynasty text on imperial food mentions roasted duck.
• 1416: Bianyifang dates its founding to this year.
• 1864: Quanjude is founded in Beijing.
• 1972: Peking duck features at banquets during Richard Nixon’s visit to China.
• Today: It is a global symbol of Chinese cuisine.

Regional styles and variations

• Hung-oven roast: duck roasted over fruitwood in an open oven.
• Closed-oven roast: duck roasted in a closed oven, associated with Bianyifang.
• Crispy aromatic duck: a British Chinese restaurant dish.
• Cantonese roast duck: a different style, often with soy and spices.
• Duck skin only: the prized crisp skin served first.

Buying, tasting and choosing well

In a good Peking duck, the skin is thin, crisp, and glossy, and it shatters when bitten, while the meat is moist. Carved at the table in thin slices, it is eaten with pancakes, cucumber, scallions and sweet sauce. Many restaurants require advance orders, since the duck takes hours to prepare. Ask about dishes made from the leftover duck, such as soup.

Did you know?

• The duck is typically about 2 to 3 months old.
• The skin is dried for many hours before roasting.
• A whole duck typically feeds a small group.
• Peking duck is often served with hoisin or sweet bean sauce.

Eating it today

Peking duck is a special-occasion dish. If you are planning a meal, book ahead, and go with a group to share the whole duck.

Countries connected to this story

• China: where Peking duck is a national dish, especially in Beijing.
• United States: where Pekin ducks were introduced in the 1870s and the dish appears in Chinese restaurants.
• United Kingdom: known for crispy aromatic duck with pancakes.
• Hong Kong and Taiwan: with their own roast duck traditions.
• Japan and Singapore: with Peking duck restaurants.

Where to try it

• Quanjude (Beijing, China): a famous duck restaurant, founded in 1864, with many branches.
• Bianyifang (Beijing, China): a restaurant that dates its origins to 1416 and is known for closed-oven roasting.
• Da Dong (Beijing, China): a modern restaurant known for its roast duck.
• Li Qun Roast Duck Restaurant (Beijing, China): a small restaurant in a hutong, often mentioned by travelers.

These are well-known examples, not paid recommendations or rankings, and places change. Check opening times and details before you travel.

Well-known brands

• Quanjude: a Chinese restaurant group that sells roast duck, including packaged versions.
• Bianyifang: a historic Beijing restaurant brand.
• Lee Kum Kee: a Hong Kong brand of hoisin and other sauces.
• Koon Chun: a Hong Kong brand of sauces including hoisin.

Brands are named as widely known examples of makers, not as endorsements.

Many food origins are disputed. This story summarizes commonly cited accounts as an introduction, not the final word.