THEY say you have not experienced China if you haven’t tried the Peking Duck.
On our third day in Beijing and after our visit to the People’s Daily Online and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs we were taken out for lunch.
At the time we didn’t realise how privileged we were to visit the Beijing Bianyifang Roast Duck restaurant until our interpreter Chen Yanjun told us.
This was the first restaurant to specialise in Peking Duck and it was established in 1416 during the Ming Dynasty — six centuries ago!
Not only did the group of Pacific Island journalists have the opportunity to enjoy the sights and sounds of Beijing and other cities, we experienced and tried this wonderful Chinese cuisine as well.
The Peking Duck, however, wasn’t just a cuisine, it was like eating food from the imperial court.
At the restaurant, the area where the ovens are located had a glass enclosure so you can watch the final steps before the chefs put the duck in the oven to roast.
It is said ducks used for this delicious Chinese meal are specially bred for 65 days before they are killed.
Ms Chen said a certain breed of duck was used.
“These ducks are bred in a suburb in Beijing,” she said. “I heard recently that the ducks are now brought from Great Britain, but I’m not sure about that.”
Ms Chen said in some restaurants today, the duck was cooked in electrical ovens.
And by the time the duck is ready, it has already lost its flavour and the meat is not as tender and tasty as it should be.
Some other restaurants roast the ducks in open ovens.
But the Beijing Bianyifang Roast Duck restaurant has retained the traditional roasting technique and uses a closed brick oven.
Ms Chen said a certain type of wood was used in the roasting process.
“The wood has a special aroma that is absorbed by the duck and makes it very tasty,” she said.
“But the most tasty part is the skin because it is very crispy. There is a plate exclusively for the skin.”
The duck’s skin is dipped in sugar and sweet bean sauce then placed with a slice of meat and spring onion on steamed pancakes that look like very thin puri.
The pancake is used as a wrap.
To say that the Peking Duck is delicious and mouth-watering is an understatement.
It is to die for.
