Poultry
Peking Duck
S tier
Peking Duck as a variety/product concept points to the white ducks and specialised husbandry behind Beijing’s iconic roast duck—birds finished for thin, lacquerable skin and even fat, then air-dried and roasted in hung ovens. The meat is tender and the skin is the prize, served with pancakes, scallion, and sweet bean sauce. Home cooks approximate with Pekin-type birds, maltose glazes, and high heat; authentic restaurant birds follow tighter process control. Distinguish the dish-and-style name from the American Pekin breed spelling while recognising they share white-duck ancestry. This is ceremony duck—carve tableside when you can.
Also known as: Beijing roast duck / Peking duck, Peking-style duck
Track this ingredient
Characteristics
Preparations
Traits
History
Imperial and capital cuisine in China elevated roast duck with specialised air-drying and oven technique.
Quanjude and other Beijing restaurants codified modern Peking duck service.
State and export promotion spread Peking duck as a national culinary emblem.
Global Chinese restaurants made Peking-style duck a worldwide banquet centrepiece.