Roast Duck Technique
01 · Historical Records
According to the Yuan-dynasty work Yinshan Zhengyao (Principles of Correct Diet), roast duck was already prepared in the imperial kitchens of that time. Qing-dynasty works such as Dijing Suishi Jisheng and Dumen Zaji also record that at every Mid-Autumn Festival, in addition to osmanthus mooncakes, the imperial kitchen prepared "southern-oven duck" for the emperor's enjoyment; the Gaozong Emperor (Qianlong) was especially fond of it. Bianyifang was founded in the fourteenth year of the Yongle reign of the Ming dynasty (1416), and Quanjude in the third year of the Tongzhi reign of the Qing dynasty (1864); both have a long history. The Beijing Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant was founded in the third year of the Tongzhi reign of the Qing dynasty (1864), by Yang Quanren.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Roast duck is the most famous dish of Beijing; in ancient times it was known as "shaoyazi" (roast duckling), "lushaoya" (oven-roast duck), "nanluya" (southern-oven duck), and other names. The principal roast duck establishments of Beijing are Bianyifang and Quanjude. Roast duck is made from specially raised force-fed ducks (tianya) through slaughtering, cleaning, preparing the carcass (making the duck blank), drying the skin, brushing on a malt-sugar glaze, and roasting. Beijing roast duck is prepared by several different techniques—the hanging oven (open flame), the covered oven (no open flame), the vat oven, and spit-roasting—yielding ducks with crisp skin, tender meat, and a rich but not greasy, delicious flavor that is highly praised by Chinese and foreign diners alike. The hanging-oven roast duck made by this restaurant uses fruitwood as fuel; the duck blanks are hung in a specially designed oven and roasted over an open flame. Through the efforts of generations of roast duck masters, Quanjude's hanging-oven roast duck has developed a standard, regulated process, the whole craft consisting of four main procedures—slaughtering and scalding, preparing the blank, roasting, and slicing—in thirty-one steps. Quanjude roast duck uses premium Beijing force-fed ducks as its raw material, with processing equipment and procedures all of its own; the finished duck is fragrant and mellow, wholesome and safe, and renowned at home and abroad for its crisp, aromatic skin, tender meat, bright color, and rich scent. It is ranked first among Beijing's specialty products. Quanjude hanging-oven roast duck contains protein, fat, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, minerals, and other nutrients; most of the fat is evenly distributed through the muscle fibers, which makes the meat tender and the flavor delicious. The way of eating Quanjude roast duck is also quite particular. When eating, pick up a slice of the prepared duck with chopsticks, dip it in a little sweet bean sauce, add shredded scallions or cucumber strips, and roll it in a lotus-leaf pancake; alternatively, dip the duck in sweet bean sauce and sandwich it with scallions in a sesame flatbread. Besides roast duck, Quanjude also pioneered the all-duck banquet, which can be enjoyed together with the roast duck
Archival Records of Process Steps
Through the efforts of generations of roast duck masters, Quanjude's hanging-oven roast duck has developed a standard, regulated process, the whole craft consisting of four main procedures—slaughtering and scalding, preparing the blank, roasting, and slicing—in thirty-one steps.
Slaughtering and skin drying
The dish begins with specially fattened ducks, slaughtered, cleaned, formed, hung to dry the skin and brushed with maltose before roasting.
Open-flame roasting over fruitwood
The hanging-duck is roasted over open flame from fruitwood in a special oven, the wood giving both heat and smoke.
Four stages, thirty-one links
The craft has been organised into four stages and thirty-one links, which is what makes it teachable and checkable.
Slicing the duck
Slicing, the last of the four stages, is what the diner sees: thin even slices let crisp skin and tender meat register separately.
Hanging oven versus muffled oven
The hanging oven roasts over open flame and the muffled oven over indirect heat, giving different colour and texture from the same bird.
Two ways to wrap the duck
Sliced duck with sweet bean paste, leek and cucumber is wrapped either in a lotus-leaf pancake or in a sesame flatbread.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
The Beijing roast duck trade is led by the Bianyifang and Quanjude houses. Quanjude was founded in the third year of the Tongzhi reign of the Qing dynasty (1864), and its roast duck craft has been passed down through its kitchens ever since; today it is carried on by Beijing Quanjude (Group) Co., Ltd. In terms of distribution, the craft is centered on Beijing and has spread to restaurants in Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, and Shandong; ducks made in other places are generally called hanging-oven roast duck, with the fuel and ovens still modeled on the Beijing style. Beijing roast duck is prepared by several different techniques—the hanging oven (open flame), the covered oven (no open flame), the vat oven, and spit-roasting—each with its own character. The hanging oven's open flame yields a crisp skin, tender meat, and a rich but not greasy taste; in the covered oven the duck never sees an open flame, and the finished bird is date-red, with a glossy, crisp skin and white, delicate meat. The two schools share the same origin yet differ markedly in flavor, so diners on entering a restaurant often first ask which kind of oven is used.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Roast Duck Technique.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The all-duck banquet was pioneered by Quanjude as a feast beyond the roast duck itself: beginning with the sliced duck and moving through the remaining parts of the bird, it is close in approach to Hongbinlou's whole-lamb banquet, both taking the entire carcass as the framework and arranging the courses in a single sequence from head to tail. One further refinement of the table must not be overlooked: the sliced duck is to be dipped in a little sweet bean sauce, paired with shredded scallions or cucumber strips, and rolled into a lotus-leaf pancake; it may also be sandwiched in a sesame flatbread. Each of the two ways of wrapping has its occasion, forming the last fork in the road for the dish at the table. A duck's final destination lies not in the oven but on the banquet table.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Bai Yongming 03-1429
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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