There are so many fried chickens, why no fried duck?

Audit expert: Wang Guoyi

Postdoctoral fellow in Nutrition and Food Safety, China Agricultural University

Have you ever wondered why we can see various types of fried chicken in the market, such as fried chicken wings, fried chicken legs, etc., but it is difficult to find fried duck?

Image source | hippopx

The answer actually involves multiple factors such as taste, production cost and market demand.

1

Taste: meaty and flavorful

First of all, there are obvious differences in the taste and texture of chicken and duck: chicken is delicate, tender and juicy, while duck is rougher and has a tougher taste. This is actually due to the different muscle composition and tissue structure of chicken and duck. Chicken has finer muscle fibers and contains less connective tissue , which makes the muscle more tender and juicy after cooking. In contrast, duck has relatively rough muscle fibers and contains more connective tissue, which makes the meat rougher and has a relatively tougher taste after cooking.

In addition, the fat content in chicken is relatively low, and the fatty acid composition it contains is more inclined to unsaturated fatty acids , which are beneficial to improve the tenderness of the meat and give us a tender and juicy taste when eating. Duck meat, on the other hand, contains a relatively high amount of fat, and tastes too greasy after frying; and the fatty acid composition in duck meat is more inclined to saturated fatty acids, which makes it taste relatively rough, leaving diners with the impression of "woody".

When you eat Peking duck, besides the delicious and juicy taste, do you also feel a unique "duck aroma"? This is mainly because there is a special gland called the preen gland in the duck's buttocks, which releases a strong odor .

Image source | hippopx

The preen gland is a special gland unique to ducks. The size, shape and whether the preen glands of different birds are covered with feathers are obviously different. The preen glands are usually arranged in pairs on the back of the tail. They are simple glands composed of many alveoli and surrounded by connective tissue. The oily substance secreted by the alveoli is collected by the collecting duct and discharged from the body through many small holes.

This gland plays a role in moisturizing the duck's hair, waterproofing and keeping warm. As a gland that specializes in secreting oil, the secretion of the preen gland is mainly composed of rich lipids and aliphatic monoesters. The unsaturated fatty acids and duck odor compounds in it give duck meat a special smell.

Moreover, duck meat contains more fat, and duck fat also contains a large amount of unsaturated fatty acids. These fatty acids will oxidize during the heating or storage of duck meat, producing volatile lipid decomposition products , making the smell of duck meat more intense.

Although the duck smell and the oily flavor complement each other in Peking duck, this smell will affect the taste and popularity of duck meat when fried. In contrast, chicken is not easy to produce excessive greasiness during cooking, and the meat is more tender and juicy, which makes chicken more suitable for making various delicacies, especially oily fast food such as fried chicken.

2

Market: Cost Difference

In addition to the difference in taste between chicken and duck meat, production cost and production method are also important factors affecting the market distribution of fried chicken and fried duck.

Since the cost of raising chickens is relatively low, the cost of making fried chicken is relatively low, and the processing of chicken is relatively simple when making fried chicken . In contrast, the cost of making fried ducks is higher. Compared with the "petite" chickens, ducklings need more food and water to grow up, and the growth cycle is also longer . Secondly, making fried ducks requires more processes and skills , such as removing the fishy smell, marinating, etc., which will increase the production cost.

3

Trend: Consumer Preferences

So, why are there so many fried chickens on the market? This is mainly because fried chicken is a very popular food in Western countries. With the development of globalization, this delicacy has gradually spread to all parts of the world and become a popular delicacy worldwide . In China, fried chicken is also loved by consumers because of its convenience, speed and delicious taste. Whether in fast food restaurants, supermarkets or street stalls, we can see all kinds of fried chicken.

Image source | hippopx

Although fried duck is not as popular as fried chicken, there are still many chefs and food lovers who are trying to find ways to make fried duck more delicious. They choose the right duck breed, adjust the cooking time, try various seasonings, and so on. For example, some chefs try to use different cooking oils or seasonings to improve the taste of fried duck; or improve the taste of fried duck by adjusting the cooking time and temperature. These innovations and explorations not only increase the diversity of fried duck, but also provide consumers with more choices.

In general, the reason why fried duck is not as popular as fried chicken is not due to a single reason, but is affected by multiple factors . This also makes us cherish and pay more attention to those less popular but equally delicious foods. Although fried duck is still relatively rare in the market, we believe that with the passage of time and the continuous advancement of technology, we will definitely see more delicious fried duck products appearing on the market in the future, bringing new food enjoyment to consumers. Before that, we can also try to make fried duck at home, innovate in our own way, and experience the fun of making and enjoying food.

Finally, we need to remind everyone that although fried chicken is delicious, the amount you eat needs to be controlled. Fried chicken is high in calories, and eating too much is not conducive to maintaining your figure and is also bad for your health.