Peking Duck is a world-famous Chinese delicacy, and many people want to have a perfect experience when they visit Beijing for the first time or try this classic dish for the first time. However, if you don’t do your homework, you may encounter problems such as choosing an inauthentic restaurant, ordering the wrong dish or not knowing how to serve it properly. This article will provide you with a detailed guide to avoiding pitfalls and authentic ordering strategies, so that you can enjoy and eat authentic Peking duck for the first time.
How to choose an authentic Peking Duck restaurant
(1) Distinguish between hanging duck and stewed duck
There are two main methods of roasting Peking duck, hanging duck and stewed duck. Hanging oven roasted duck with fruit wood open fire roasting, common fruit trees are jujube, pear, apple trees, etc. This method of roasting the duck out of the outside of the duck, the outside of the duck, the outside of the duck, the outside of the duck. The duck roasted in this way has a crispy skin with the aroma of fruit wood, and the duck meat tastes a little smoky. Stewed oven roasted duck is roasted with dark fire, the temperature inside the oven is uniform, the roasted duck skin is oily, the meat is more tender and juicy. Both types of roast ducks have their own characteristics, and you can choose according to your own taste preferences. However, authentic Peking duck restaurants usually clearly indicate their roasting method, and you can find the relevant information in the restaurant’s menu or introduction.
(2) Observe the environment and equipment of the restaurant
Authentic Peking duck restaurants usually have a special roast duck oven, and many of them will set up the oven in a transparent glass room, so that customers can see the process of making the duck. This not only allows customers to eat with confidence, but also reflects the restaurant’s confidence in its own duck craft. In addition, the hygiene of the restaurant is also very important, a clean and tidy environment is the basis for enjoying food. You can see whether the tabletop and floor of the restaurant are clean, and whether the tableware is neatly arranged.
(3) Refer to customer reviews and word-of-mouth
Before choosing a restaurant, you can check the reviews of other customers through some food review websites or social media platforms. Be careful to check whether the reviews are specific, for example, whether they mention whether the skin of the roast duck is crispy, whether the meat is tender, and whether the small ingredients are complete. If most of the customers rave about the restaurant’s roast duck, then the restaurant is more credible. However, you should also pay attention to distinguish some false evaluations, try to choose the restaurant with a large number of evaluations and objective evaluation content.
Ordering Tips
(1) Different Parts of Roast Duck and How to Eat It
A complete Peking duck can be divided into several parts, and different parts can be eaten in different ways.
- Duck Skin: The skin of roast duck is one of the most essential parts, especially the skin on the breast of the duck. A well-baked duck skin shows a golden yellow color, shiny and oily, which looks very attractive. When eating duck skin, it is usually dipped in a little sugar, which can highlight the crispy and sweet skin, which melts in your mouth without feeling greasy.
- Duck Meat: Duck meat can be divided into duck meat with skin and pure duck meat. Duck meat with skin can be rolled with duck skin and eaten in lotus leaf pancake with rich flavor. Pure duck meat, on the other hand, can be used to make some other dishes, such as stir-fried seasonal vegetables with duck meat.
- Duck rack: After eating the meat and skin of the roast duck, the leftover duck rack can be handled in a variety of ways. The common ones are duck rack with salt and pepper and duck rack soup. The crispy taste of peppered duck rack is a favorite of many people; duck rack soup is lighter and more nutritious for those who like soup.
(2) Accompanying Sprinkles and Main Meals
- Small Sprinkles: Essential sprinkles for eating Peking Duck include sweet noodle sauce, shredded green onions, cucumber strips, lotus leaf cakes or hollowed out sesame cakes. The sweet noodle sauce is used for flavoring, and it has a moderately salty and sweet taste that goes well with roast duck. Shredded green onion and cucumber strips are used to relieve greasiness and add layers of flavor. Lotus leaf cake is relatively thin, soft and tough, used to roll roast duck and small ingredients is very convenient; hollow sesame cake with sesame flavor, crispy texture, like to eat chewy can choose hollow sesame cake.
- staple food: In addition to using the lotus leaf cake or hollow sesame cake rolled roast duck to eat, you can also order some other staple food. For example, duck meat fried rice, with leftover meat from roast duck and rice, plus some vegetables and seasonings, the flavor is very fragrant. There are also duck oil steamed eggs, using duck oil to steam the eggs, the eggs taste more fresh.
(3) Drink Recommendations
When eating Peking duck, pairing it with some suitable drinks can make the dining experience more perfect. If you like to drink beverages, you can choose sour plum soup, which is sweet and sour, and has a good effect on relieving fatigue, and roast duck is a classic match. If you like to drink tea, pu-erh tea or jasmine tea is a good choice, tea can help digestion, but also remove the greasy feeling in the mouth.
The correct way to eat
(1) Order of Eating Roast Duck
When eating Peking duck for the first time, it is important to have the correct order of consumption. Generally speaking, you should eat the skin of the duck first to feel its crispness and sweetness; then eat the duck meat with the skin, rolled up in a cake with small ingredients; and finally handle the duck rack, which can be peppered with salt or made into soup according to your preference. This order allows you to gradually savor the deliciousness of the different parts of the roast duck, without affecting your appetite later by eating too much of the greasy parts at the beginning.
(2) Tips for Rolling Patties
There are a few tips for rolling ruffles or hollowed-out sesame cakes. First, put the pancake in the palm of your hand, then use chopsticks to hold a little bit of sweet noodle sauce and spread it evenly on the pancake; then put a few slices of duck meat and skin on it, plus a few shredded green onions and cucumber strips; finally, fold the two sides of the pancake and then roll it up from the bottom to the top, so that a tasty roast duck roll is ready. Be careful not to put too much material, so as not to leak out when rolling.
Guide to avoiding pitfalls
(1) Beware of low-priced set menu traps
Some restaurants will offer low-priced Peking duck set menus, which seem to be a good deal, but may actually be problematic. For example, the quality of the roast duck may not be good, using frozen ducks rather than fresh ducks, and the roasting process may not be authentic, resulting in the taste and flavor of the roast duck greatly reduced. In addition, the small ingredients in low-priced set menus may not be complete, or the quality of the main dishes and drinks may be poor. So, when choosing a set menu, don’t just look at the price, but also pay attention to what’s included in the set menu and the restaurant’s reputation.
(2) Pay attention to extra charges for duck rack handling
Many restaurants will charge extra fees when handling duck racks, for example, peppered duck racks may be more expensive than duck rack soup, or there will be a processing fee when handling duck racks. When ordering, be sure to ask about the cost of processing the duck rack to avoid unnecessary disputes when checking out. In addition, if you don’t want to handle the duck rack, you can also ask to pack the duck rack to take away, some restaurants may provide free packing service.
(3) Know the precautions for packing
If you can’t finish the roast duck and want to pack it away, you need to pay attention to some matters. First of all, the skin of the duck will not become crispy when it cools down, so it is best to eat it as soon as possible. If you need to pack the duck, it is recommended that you ask the restaurant to pack the skin and the duck meat separately to avoid the skin being softened by the heat of the duck meat. In addition, lotus leaf cakes and small ingredients can also be packed together, but be careful about how to store them. It is best to keep them in a cool and dry place and consume them as soon as possible.
(4) Consider the effect of seasons on roast duck
The texture and flavor of Peking duck may have some subtle differences from season to season. For example, in winter, the fat content of the duck is relatively high and the roasted duck may be a bit more greasy; while in summer, the meat may be more tender. However, this is not absolute, and it mainly depends on the restaurant’s selection of ingredients and roasting process. If you are sensitive to the taste of roast duck, you can consult the waiter when ordering and ask them to recommend the right way to eat roast duck for the season.
Summary
The first time you eat Peking duck, as long as you do your homework, choose an authentic restaurant, master the correct ordering and eating methods, and avoid the common pitfalls, you can enjoy the unique charm of this classic cuisine. We hope this guide to avoiding pitfalls and authentic ordering tips will help you have an unforgettable Peking duck dining experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
(1) How many people should order one duck for the first time?
Generally speaking, a Peking duck weighs around 3 catties, and the edible portion is about 1.5 catties to 2 catties after removing the bones and internal organs. On average, an adult can eat 3 to 4 taels of duck meat per person, so it is more appropriate to order one duck for 3 to 4 persons. Of course, it also depends on the amount of food and whether the individual orders other dishes.
(2) Is there a vegetarian-friendly way to eat Peking Duck?
Although Peking Duck is mainly served with duck meat, there are some options for vegetarians. For example, instead of ordering roast duck, you can order some dishes that use roast duck mince with the main course, such as lotus leaf pancake rolled with shredded green onion, cucumber strips and sweet noodle sauce, plus some vegetable dishes. Alternatively, some restaurants also offer vegetarian roast duck, although this is rare and you need to check with the restaurant in advance.
(3) How can I store the unfinished Peking Duck?
If you can’t finish the Peking duck, it is recommended that you pack it up and take it home as soon as possible and keep it in the refrigerator. When storing, it is best to separate the skin from the meat. The skin can be wrapped in plastic wrap to avoid contact with air, so that it does not become crispy; the meat can be stored in a ziplock bag. When eating again, the duck skin can be heated up in the oven or microwave to make it crispy again; the duck meat can be used for stir-fry, soup or congee.
