The reputation of Chinese cuisine -- Peking duck

By. Xue Feng (Lucy)

Peking duck which represents the top cuisine in Beijing is often considered as one of Chinese national foods. For tourists, one of the most attractive things about Beijing is the delicious Peking duck.

The history of Peking duck dates back to 600 years ago which is in Ming Dynasty.

The two famous Peking Duck restaurants in Beijing are QuanJuDe 全聚德 (Complete Collection of Virtues) and BianYiFang 便宜坊 (Shop of Convenience and Pleasure), both having a history over 400 years. The original BianYiFang was in the Rice Market Hutong while the original QuanJuDe was in the Meat Market, both in the southern part of the city.

At QuanJuDe, the ducks are firstly immersed in condiments which are secret recipes to the restaurant and are roasted directly over flames stoked by wood from the fruit tree. The best roasted duck is date-red, shining with oil, but with a crisp skin and tender meat. The most interesting thing for me is that the chef cuts the meat into thin slices at table in front of the customers. Then the meat is served with Chinese onions and special Chinese sauce.

Another famous restaurant offering Peking duck -- BianYiFang (Cheap Restaurant), was opened in 1855, nine years earlier than QuanJuDe. At BianYiFang, roasting is done in an enclosed container fueled with crop stalks. One of the most impressive things of the duck in BianYiFang is that the cook put vegetables and edible flower in the duck in order to make more nutritious and tasty.

I still remember that day I tried two ducks from the above restaurants at Qianmen to compare which was better. Finally, each of them has a share. The duck outsider Giori tender and traditional cooking style in QuanJuDe and the fresh and delicious taste with high nutritional value in BianYiFang both impressed me. Next time, if you are going to Beijing, these two Peking duck restaurants are highly recommended.