The wisdom of the Chinese people is truly amazing! They've used duck as an ingredient, combining different cooking techniques and seasonings to create many regionally representative delicacies. Do you know which region has the most delicious and famous ducks? This article compiles a list of China's top ten famous duck specialties, including Peking duck, Changde braised duck, Nanjing salted duck, Zhijiang duck, Kunyang braised duck, Nanjing pressed duck, camphor tea duck, Baisha oil duck, Wuwei smoked duck, Zhou duck, Cai duck, and Nanning roast duck. Each of these ducks has its own unique characteristics, making them truly mouthwatering! Let's learn about them together!
1. Peking Duck
Peking duck, the signature dish of Quanjude Peking Duck Restaurant in Beijing, is a representative of Beijing's local culinary culture, renowned for its vibrant color, tender meat, and rich flavor. This delicacy is hailed as a "world-class delicacy" and enjoys a high reputation both domestically and internationally. A folk saying goes, "He who has not climbed the Great Wall is not a true hero, and he who has not eaten Peking duck has even greater regrets," highlighting the significant place Peking duck holds in people's hearts, akin to a "living Great Wall." Peking duck uses the locally sourced Beijing duck as its main ingredient. The Beijing duck is a specialty of Beijing, a national geographical indication agricultural product, and an internationally renowned high-quality meat duck breed, known for its rapid growth and excellent fattening results.
2. Changde Braised Duck
Changde braised duck is a specialty of Wuling District, Changde City, Hunan Province, and is also one of China's national geographical indication products. This delicacy, with its unique flavor characterized by "fragrant, spicy, fresh, and mellow," leaves a deep impression. It has a bright red appearance, exudes a rich aroma of soy sauce, and tastes spicy and refreshing. At the same time, Changde braised duck is low in fat and high in protein, thus earning high praise and being called "a unique specialty of Changde." In 1999, Changde braised duck won the Excellent Product Award at the first Hunan Provincial Agricultural Expo, and in October 2000, it won the Gold Award at the first China Western Grain, Wine and Foodstuffs Fair, the Gold Award at the first Changde Food Industry Expo, and the Silver Award at the second Hunan Provincial Famous, High-Quality and Special Agricultural Products Expo, among other honors.
3. Nanjing Salted Duck
Nanjing Salted Duck is a famous duck specialty of Nanjing, belonging to the exquisite Jinling cuisine and being one of its outstanding representatives. This delicacy is also known as Osmanthus Duck and is one of China's geographical indication products. Because Nanjing was called "Jinling" in ancient times, it is also named "Jinling Salted Duck." It has enjoyed a high reputation for a long time, boasting a history of 25 centuries. The production history of Nanjing Salted Duck is very long, accumulating rich experience. It has white skin, tender meat, is fatty but not greasy, exudes a fragrant aroma, and has a delicious taste, uniquely characterized by its aroma, crispness, and tenderness. On September 10, 2018, "Chinese Cuisine" officially released its list, selecting "Jinling Salted Duck" as one of the top ten classic dishes of Jiangsu Province.
4. Linwu Duck
Linwu duck is a unique specialty of Linwu County, Chenzhou City, Hunan Province. It is one of China's geographical indication products and is listed as one of China's eight famous duck breeds. This duck has a long history of breeding and is characterized by rapid growth, large size, high egg production, strong adaptability, high return on feed costs, tender meat, even distribution of subcutaneous fat, and delicious taste. Linwu duck is renowned for its "nourishing yin and reducing internal heat, beauty and health" effects, and is affectionately called "hooked-beak duck" by local residents. It enjoys a prestigious status among local duck breeds in China, having been presented as tribute to the imperial court, thus gaining widespread fame. This breed is recorded in the "Hunan Provincial Livestock and Poultry Breed Records" and has won the Hunan Provincial Gold Award for High-Quality Agricultural Products. As one of China's eight famous duck breeds, the Linwu duck is a breed with superior meat quality and egg production, boasting a breeding history of over a thousand years and having been a tribute to the imperial court, enjoying a high reputation.
5. Zhijiang Duck
Zhijiang duck is a specialty of Zhijiang Dong Autonomous County, Hunan Province, and a Chinese national geographical indication product. This delicacy is world-renowned for its rich color, aroma, and flavor. Zhijiang duck contains various essential amino acids, such as lysine, leucine, glutamic acid, arginine, alanine, and aspartic acid. The duck meat has bright red skin, thin skin, soft bones, low subcutaneous fat content, and well-developed muscles. When sliced, the muscle surface is glossy, with distinct texture and elasticity. Cooked duck meat is tender and juicy; during stewing, the broth turns milky white, has a rich aroma, and is neither fishy nor greasy.
6. Kunyang Braised Duck
Kunyang braised duck is a well-known specialty of Jinning District, Kunming City, Yunnan Province, and one of China's most prized duck products. Due to its long history and unique flavor, it has been listed as an intangible cultural heritage of Kunming City. The artisans who make Kunyang braised duck are committed to research and continuous improvement, building upon the techniques passed down from their ancestors. They constantly innovate in production techniques, ingredients, and taste, especially using carefully selected century-old braising liquid for a meticulous braising process. Strict selection of ingredients, meticulous use of materials, and proper proportions result in ducks with an appealing color, enticing aroma, and wonderful taste. The duck meat is tender and flavorful, with crispy bones, thin skin, lean meat, and a rich yet not greasy texture, possessing a unique local flavor.
7. Nanjing Salted Duck
Nanjing salted duck, commonly known as "Pipa duck," and also called "official gift salted duck" and "tribute duck," is famous in Nanjing and is hailed as "Northern roast duck, Southern salted duck." It is a specialty product made by salting and air-drying, and comes in two types: cured salted duck and spring salted duck. Because its meat is tender yet firm, resembling a flat plate, it is named "salted duck." Salted duck is not only excellent in color, aroma, and taste, but also boasts a plump appearance, full body, abundant fat, white skin, and tender yet firm meat. It is soft to eat and has a lingering, delicious aroma. Nanjing salted duck has a relatively dry, flat appearance, and its meat is tender and delicate, emitting a rich aroma, thus enjoying the reputation of being "dry, flat, crisp, tender, and fragrant."
8. Camphor Tea Duck
Camphor-smoked duck is a famous specialty of Chengdu, Sichuan, belonging to the smoked duck category. The preparation process is meticulous and demanding, using only plump, young male ducks and carefully processing them through four steps: marinating, smoking, steaming, and frying. The finished dish boasts an appealing reddish-yellow hue, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, emitting a unique aroma of camphor wood and tea, with a savory and fragrant taste. Upon tasting, the aroma of alcohol gradually releases with each chew, its unique fragrance reducing any fishy smell while enhancing the rich flavor of the meat. The flavor is even more outstanding when smoked with fruitwood or tea. The presentation of camphor-smoked duck is also very particular. After smoking, it is first cut into sections, then shaped, and finally arranged on a plate, preserving the deliciousness of the duck meat while showcasing its aesthetic appeal.
9. Baisha Oil Duck
Baisha Oil Duck, also known as Baisha Cured Duck, is one of Dongguan's treasures and a specialty duck product of China. It is also listed as a "Guangdong Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage," with the oil duck from Baisha, Humen being the most famous. In northern China, it is known as "Ban Duck." The production process of oil duck is very meticulous. In autumn, the ducks are first fed for 10 days, then slaughtered, rubbed with salt, and left to rest overnight. The next morning, they are washed with alternating hot and cold water to achieve the right salinity. Afterward, the oil ducks need to be sun-dried for three days before finally being hung to air-dry. The finished oil duck has a perfect balance of lean and fat, with tender and delicious meat, a sweet and mellow taste, and a unique aroma that is both rich and not greasy. Therefore, it is exported to Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, and other regions.
10. Wuwei Ban Ya (a type of braised duck)
Wuwei smoked duck is a unique delicacy of Wuwei City, Anhui Province, and one of the locals' favorite dishes. Originating in the Qing Dynasty, this dish uses Chaohu ducks as its main ingredient, along with about 30 kinds of Chinese herbs and spices, such as star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, cloves, and fennel. The preparation process involves smoking followed by braising. Wuwei smoked duck uses very carefully selected raw materials, prioritizing top-quality Chaohu ducks. The complex preparation process involves smoking first, followed by braising to bring out its natural smoky aroma. The finished duck meat is golden yellow, fatty and glossy, tender, and richly flavorful, combining the aroma of Peking duck with the tender texture of Nanjing duck.
The ranking of China's top ten famous duck specialties is based on a selection of duck specialties from across the country. It takes into account the "National Geographical Indication Products" and "Agricultural Product Geographical Indications" designated by the Ministry of Agriculture, and considers factors such as domestic popularity, online attention, and awards received. It also references relevant internet rankings/lists for comprehensive recommendation. The ranking is not in any particular order and is for reference only. If you have any questions, please feel free to comment/criticize at the end.
