Chinese culture and Chinese medicine

During that period, Chinese people made a far-reaching innovation in the duck-roasting process. They did away with disembowelment of the duck. Only a small hole was bored in the body for removal of the viscera. Air was forced under high pressure into the space between the skin and the flesh so that the two became separated from each other. Then the duck body was smeared with maltose syrup and left to dry in a cool place. The whole duck would become almost crimson in color, as if it had been painted with red lacquer. Therefore, roast Beijing duck came to be called jokingly by some foreigners the “lacquered duck”. With regard to details, it should be noted that before the duck is put in the oven its chest is to be filled with boiling water and the hole closed by being tied up with a piece of string. The boiling water is to be discharged only after the roasting process has come to an end. This seemingly trivial modification has several advantages. First, the duck will not lose water when being roasted. Second, the water will keep the chest of the duck swollen so that the skin will not shrink and will not become softened by the roasting, with the result that the duck skin will be thin and crisp and become the most delicious part of the roast duck. Having been roasted in this way, the duck will be golden and lustrous, its surface will be crisp and fragrant, and its meat will be very tender with a peculiar flavor. Chinese culture Related articles:
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