Peking roast duck

Peking Duck, or Peking Roast Duck is a famous duck dish from Beijing that has been prepared since the imperial era, and is now considered one of China's deluxe foods.

The dish is prized for its thin and crispy skin. Ducks bred especially for the dish are slaughtered after 65 days and seasoned before being roasted in a closed or hung oven. The meat is eaten with pancakes, spring onions, and hoisin sauce or sweet bean sauce. The two most notable restaurants in Beijing which serve this delicacy are Quanjude and Bianyifang, two centuries-old establishments that have become household names.

Recommended restaurants:

Quanjude Roast Duck (Qianmen Branch)

Address: 30, Qianmen Avenue, Chongwen district

Average cost per person: 124 yuan

Opening hours: 11:00-13:30; 16:30-20:00

Transportation: take bus No. 5, 17, 20, 22, 48, 59, 66, 69, 120, 126, 301, 690, 692 or 803 and get off at Qianmen.

Tel: 010-65112418

Bianyifang Roast Duck (Hademen Branch)

Address: 16, Chongwen Men Wai Street, Chongwen district

Average cost per person: 111 yuan

Opening hours: 11:00 – 14:00; 17:00 – 21:30

Transportation: take Subway 2 or 5 and get off at Exit C, Chongwenmen Station

Tel: 010-67112244

Nanjing salted duck

Nanjing salted duck is a famous specialty in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. It is famous for its white skin and tender meat, and rich in flavor but not too greasy. The salted duck around the Mid-autumn Festival tastes best as it is seasoned with osmanthus, thus it has another name "osmanthus duck".

Recommended restaurant:

Wanqinglou Restaurant

Address: 1, Gongyuan Xijie, Qinhuai district

Average cost per person: 111 yuan

Tel: 025-86626950

Hunan spicy salted duck

Hunan spicy salted duck is a famous dish in Yiyang city, Hunan Province. It selects the local unique duck, soaked in more than 30 precious traditional Chinese medicines and over 10 spices, through 15 processes such as airing and baking. The delicacy is eye-catching in dark red, fragrant in sauce taste and highly nutritious. It can be served in a banquet as well as goes with wine.

Recommended brand: Hunan Tongpangzi spicy salted duck

Wuhan duck neck

Wuhan duck refers to several dishes from the city of Wuhan, Hubei Province. The dishes are specific parts of a duck, including the tongue, head, feet, liver, kidney, and most popularly, the neck, often referred to as "spicy duck neck". Common to all of these dishes is the color, a deep reddish-brown, and the extremely spicy flavor. These items are sold in numerous provinces throughout China.

Recommended brands: Zhouheiya duck neck, Jingwu duck neck

Fujian Jiangmu duck

In Fujian, especially in Xiamen, people like to cook Jiangmu duck. It is a good winter dish which can dispel dampness and coldness. People cooking to the duck first soak it in rice wine and then braise it in the clay pot with Chinese herbs and old ginger for about two hours. The duck goes well with rice and beer.

Sichuan tea smoked duck

Also known as Zhangcha duck, Sichuan tea smoked duck tastes no inferior to Peking roast duck. It is one of the classic Sichuan dishes. The duck is hot smoked over the twigs of camphor plant and tea leaves.