When I began this foodie adventure, I dreamed of discovering all of the culinary oddities and strange food that the world had to offer. But I realize that “strange” is a relative term. For some people, “Ball Cheese” as prepared by the Pennsylvania Dutch, may seem like a normal addition to the plate. For others, the name may be a deterrent in itself. Let me say, for the record, that I love food and I love discovering the food of other cultures, especially those that strike me as strange or intriguing. This brings me to my next discussion: Peking Duck.
Let’s spin the globe for a minute or two and visit China. Having traveled to the country twice, I can say with certainty that it is a place full of culinary delights—some strange and some delicious. One of my favorite meals to have in China comes from the city of Beijing and has become somewhat popular in the United States too. Peking Duck (also called Beijing Duck) has been prepared for centuries and remains somewhat of a culinary secret possessed only by the most experienced Chinese chefs. I do know that the preparation is extremely labor-intensive and very time consuming. It involves a duck that is fully deplumed, but with head and feet intact. The chef makes a small incision by the duck’s neck and inflates the skin so that it separates from the meat—not a meal for the faint of heart, or for animal rights activists for that matter. After the duck is inflated, the feet are cut off at the ankles. Then, the duck is hung with a special loop and is basted with boiling water and a mixture of different ingredients (usually honey dissolved in water) and then dried in an oven for around four hours.
A bunch of ducks hang to dry before being prepared in the traditional Peking style in Beijing, China.
It is said that Peking Duck originates from the Ming Dynasty. It is during this time that the strict specifications for preparing the duck probably evolved. For example, Peking Duck should be prepared from a duck that is exactly 65 days old. Furthermore, it can weigh no less than four pounds. Today, in restaurants across the county and in Beijing, eating Peking Duck is a ceremonial process. The duck is presented whole next to the table, then it is sliced methodically into little thin pieces, which are placed on a plate. The duck is served with thin pancakes, scallions, and hoisin sauce. It’s definitely a meal that one should try at an authentic Chinese restaurant, seeing as preparing it correctly seems near impossible, but if you want to attempt this delightful dish at home, here is a link to a video that teaches a simple version of the recipe:
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