Flight to China

Quan Ju De

From Quanjude.com.cn

Quanren Yang, the establisher and the first manager of QUANJUDEQuanren Yang (1822-1890), the first manager of QUANJUDE roast duck restaurant, came to Beijing from a famine-stricken area of Hebei Province. After arriving in Beijing, he was firstly engaged in buying and selling raw chicken and duck. In 1864, he rolled the dice with a grocery on the verge of bankruptcy. He renamed the firm QUANJUDE. Due to his extreme smartness and painstaking management, QUANJUDE developed from an ordinary roast duck shop front to a real restaurant characterized by roast duck done by hanging in the oven. This laid a sound foundation for the roast duck to become well known throughout Beijing.

Gold Tablet Above the gate of every QUANJUDE roast duck restaurant, there is a tablet where the three Chinese characters of QUAN JU DE are inscribed. The three characters were written by a scholar of Qing Dynasty whose name is Zilong Qian. On the tablet, the three characters are covered with gold leaf, a special Chinese technique for preservation. The gold tablet glitters through the vicissitudes of a century, telling silently an ancient story, the hardships and achievements of generations in QUANJUDE.

Acient WallThe old shop front saved till now was established in the 14th year of Guangxu (1888) and witnessed QUANJUDE’s development. Now it is built in Qianmen Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant, Beijing.

Acient WallMoney reflects from a profile other social changes accompanying QUANJUDE. These coins are the very ones received on the very first day of the establishment of QUANJUDE in 1864.

Duck Sites–precious pictures taken 67 years ago On the Dragon Boat Festival of 1933 (the 5th day of the 5th lunar month), Helen Morrison, a German photographer came to QUANJUDE roast duck restaurant for dinner. She was so deeply impressed by the special fragrance and taste of the roast duck. When seeing then manager Kuiyao Yang, she praised the taste of the duck as “beyond compare” and the extraordinary technique of the chef, asking eagerly to visit the spot of duck roasting. At that time, QUANJUDE’s roast duck done by hanging in the oven was a top commercial secret and QUANJUDE had never agreed anyone to see the site. But Yang was so satisfied with the busy business that day that he broke the rule and showed the lady to the roast oven. Helen was conquered by the scene: the claret ducks were being kissed by the red stove fire, the fragrance permeating; the chef was turning the ducks with the shaft handsomely. She immediately took the picture with her camera.

According to the old-timers of QUANJUDE restaurant, Helen Morrison was so interested in QUANJUDE roast duck. What amazed her was how an ordinary duck could achieve such pleasant fragrance after roast. Under Helen’s request, Kuiyao Yang showed her to the duck farm where the ducks were raised specially for QUANJUDE. The duck farm was situated in the northwest of Beijing and the boss Laowu Wang was unique and the best in raising ducks and had a nickname of Duck King. The Wangs and Yangs had been old family friends. The key to Wang’s success in raising ducks was that he used only grains as feed, which resulted in the duck meat without any unpleasant smell. What is more, the duck farm was favorably sited in terms of geomantic quality. With the good water quality nearby, the duck meat was tender, fresh and delicious. Helen was attracted by the story and shot this picture.

Old Menu: According to historical documents, All-Duck-Banquet was initiated by QUANJUDE restaurant. In its early time, the All-Duck-Banquet is substantial rather than sumptuous. This banquet menu in the 1930s is saved by a foreign guest who usually visited QUANJUDE restaurant. Now it is stored in the Capital Museum of China.

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Beijing Roast Duck

According to a Chinese saying, no visit to Beijing is complete if you miss seeing The Great Wall or dining on Roast Duck. As a famous and delicious food with very long history, Beijing Roast Duck is an excellent choice if you want to understand more about Chinese cuisine, culture and customs.

It is thought that Beijing roast duck, like the tradition of roast turkey in America, owes its origin to the roast goose that is still popular in Europe on festive occasions. Westerners like Marco Polo brought certain European customs to China and may have introduced the concept of roasting poultry to their Chinese hosts during the Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368). Ducks had long been domesticated in China and the plump ducks proved to be an excellent substitute for goose in much the same way as the American colonizers found the native turkey to be. However, there is another school of thought based upon certain records that show roast duck has a much longer history dating back as far as the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420 - 589). Up until the Southern Song Dynasty (1127 - 1279), ducks were roasted in the area around Jinling, today’s Nanjing. However, the later Yuan Dynasty rulers moved their capital city to Beijing from Jinling and took with them their cuisine thus making roast duck popular in the city that was eventually to make it its very own specialty.

The ducks were originally roasted in a conventional convection oven until Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911) when roast ducks became a delicacy in the imperial menu and were highly regarded by emperors and other members of the ruling classes. The ducks used during this period were a special breed namely the White Beijing Duck and a new method of cooking was employed, by suspending the ducks over the flame in an open oven. These two traditional methods of cooking have resulted in the two major present day schools of roast duck preparation.

The initial method has been perpetuated by very few restaurants among which Bianyi Fang (Convenient and Comfortable) Restaurant Furniture , established in 1861, is the most famous. There serves roast duck with a well-preserved traditional flavor. The second method is relatively well-known and used with great success by the Quan Ju De Restaurant. Today, Quan Ju De means Beijing Roast Duck to many Chinese people as well as foreign visitors.

Over a long period of development exceeding some 140 years, a consummate and precise procedure for cooking Beijing Roast Duck has been firmly established:

First, a suitable White Beijing Duck will be chosen for preparation. After the bird has been plucked, air is pumped between its skin and flesh. A small incision is made for the removal of the entrails.

Secondly, and once the bird has been thoroughly cleaned, a wooden skewer is inserted through it to facilitate its hanging and ultimate heating; the body cavity is filled with water and the incision that had been made is closed.

Thirdly, the skin of the duck is air dried and brushed with a layer of sugar.

Fourthly, the duck is then put into a large oven, using a smokeless hardwood fuel and heating to about 270 degrees Centigrade for 30 to 40 minutes. The duck is turned frequently during the roasting process to ensure even cooking.

Then the delicious roast duck is ready! It will be a shining date-red in color and unique in flavor; Beijing Roast Duck is characterized by its crispy skin and tender texture. Besides the traditional roast duck, many restaurants offer an All Duck Banquet - various dishes cooked with the offal and juices of the duck, surrounding the main dish. It will be sure to give you satisfaction and enjoyment when dining.

In addition, there are some points to which you need to pay attention when having Beijing Roast Duck. The best seasons for eating it are spring, autumn and winter. The hot roast duck will be brought to the dining table by the chef where he will slice it into more than 100 thin flakes, each having its piece of crispy skin. The way to really enjoy the succulent meat is as follows: first take one of the small, thin pancakes provided and spread it with plum sauce, small slices of spring onions and then add some pieces of duck. Finally roll up the pancake and take a bite. You will be surprised by the terrific taste!

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