Delicious Peking duck

1. Different costs

Firstly, Beijing roast duck is usually roasted using fresh stuffed duck, weighing around 2.5 kilograms, and there are special requirements for the roasting process; Most of the ordinary roast ducks are refrigerated white ducks, weighing around 2 pounds, and ducks are also cheaper. In addition, the production cost of Beijing roast duck is much higher than that of ordinary roast duck due to the requirements of production technology, labor costs, and store rent.

2. Different processes

Beijing roast duck is made using unique techniques, such as using fruit trees such as jujube wood and pear wood as fuel, and the roasting time is also very long. Beijing roast duck emphasizes the charred meat on the outside and tender inside, with a hint of fruity wood fragrance.

For ordinary roast duck, the roasting process is much simpler. You only need to clean the frozen duck you bought, and then fry, air dry, and roast it to basically complete the production. Ordinary roasted duck is also made with ordinary charcoal, which cannot be compared to authentic Beijing roast duck in terms of taste.

The reason why Beijing roast duck is known as a masterpiece of cuisine is inseparable from its unique production process. Firstly, the selection of ducks is crucial, generally choosing ducks with moderate body size and good breeding. Secondly, the marinating process of roasted duck is a key step, and the marinated spices should be accurately blended to penetrate the inside of the duck meat, making the taste of roasted duck more rich. Then, hang the pickled duck on an open flame and bake it, making the duck skin golden and crispy, and keeping the meat tender, smooth, and juicy. The entire roasting process requires the chef’s skilled skills and experience in order to produce a perfect Beijing roast duck.

Later, during the reign of Emperor Chengzu of Ming, Zhu Di usurped the throne and relocated the capital to Beijing. Several skilled chefs were also brought to Beijing. It was not until the Jiajing period that the technique of roast duck gradually became popular among the people. In 1864, the famous roast duck restaurant “Quanjude” invented the method of fruit wood open fire roasting, which gave the ducks a refreshing aroma of fruit wood and floated for ten miles. From then on, Beijing roast duck officially replaced “Nanjing roast duck”. So, remember, it’s Nanjing, not Beijing!

The eating method is relatively simple, with pancakes paired with shredded scallions and cucumbers, as well as some secret sauce. Dip the meat in the sauce, add vegetables, wrap them, and then eat them again, which is quite delicious.

Beijing roast duck can be divided into two types based on different roasting methods: braised oven roast duck and hung oven roast duck. The braised duck is roasted using a floor furnace. Before roasting, the inner wall of the oven is heated to a suitable temperature using a charcoal fire. After extinguishing the open flame, the forked duck is placed in the furnace, the furnace door is closed, and the duck is roasted using the heat from the furnace wall. Due to the lack of open flames in ducks, the production of carcinogens is greatly reduced.

Hanging oven roast duck is a process of hanging ducks in an oven and igniting dried branches of fruit trees such as dates and peaches or charcoal for open fire barbecue. As is well known, directly grilling meat at high temperatures can produce a carcinogen called benzopyrene. But the content of benzopyrene in roasted duck is only 0.38 micrograms/kg, far below the international standard of 1 microgram/kg.

This is because, although roasted duck is roasted over an open flame, in most cases it does not come into direct contact with the flame. Instead, the top and walls of the furnace reflect heat onto the duck, which greatly reduces the production of carcinogens. In addition, the temperature inside the oven is usually stable at around 200 ℃, not very high, and the oven is clean and smokeless, effectively reducing the generation of harmful substances.