Peking Duck (北京烤鸭)

中文简介

北京烤鸭是北京最有名的菜肴，也是外国游客来中国必尝的美食之一。选用优质填鸭，在挂炉中用果木（枣木、梨木）烤制，鸭皮枣红酥脆、油脂丰盈，鸭肉细嫩多汁。吃法讲究：厨师在桌边将烤鸭片成薄片，配荷叶饼、甜面酱、葱丝和黄瓜条卷起来吃。鸭架可以椒盐或煮汤，一鸭多吃。全聚德、便宜坊是百年老字号，大董和四季民福则更受年轻人欢迎。人均消费约 ¥98–280。

English

Peking duck (北京烤鸭, Běijīng kǎoyā) is China's most famous dish and a bucket-list meal for nearly every first-time visitor. A plump duck is hung and roasted over fruitwood (apple or pear) in a closed oven until the skin turns deep lacquer-red — shatteringly crisp, with a layer of rich fat underneath and tender, juicy meat. The ritual is half the experience: the chef wheels the duck to your table and slices it tableside into thin pieces with the skin still attached. You dip the meat in sweet bean sauce, add slivers of scallion and cucumber, and roll it up in a thin pancake. Nothing is wasted — the leftover carcass comes back as a peppery salt-and-pepper fry or a creamy duck soup.

Where to eat: Quanjude (全聚德) and Bianyifang (便宜坊) are the century-old classics; Da Dong (大董) and Siji Minfu (四季民福) are the modern favorites with a lighter, less greasy style. A full duck runs ¥98–280 ($14–40) depending on the restaurant, plus ¥6–15 ($1–2) per pancake set. Order the whole duck — half-ducks are a tourist trap and often dry.

Pro tips: Go before 11:30 AM or after 7 PM to skip the queue at Siji Minfu's Forbidden City outlet (the view is worth it). The skin should be eaten immediately while still crackling. Don't confuse Peking duck with the Cantonese roast duck (烧鸭) — different breed, different oven, different sauce.