Spicy Braised Duck Heads 鸭头
Spicy Braised Duck Heads is featured among the local specialties of Zhejiang.
Image notes
Resized for the web; the photo itself has not been edited.
Spicy Braised Duck Heads (鸭头) are a Quzhou (衢州) speciality sold in shops along Mazhandi Street (马站底). In a 2024 Tide News (潮新闻) report, local makers describe different braising stocks and ways of serving the heads with their cooking liquid.
Different shop stocks
At Mantianxiang (满天香), Zheng Jinhua (郑金花) uses red yeast rice and dark soy sauce for colour. Her ground seasonings include star anise, small hot chillies, cardamom and Quzhou citrus peel. She braises the heads in an older stock replenished with fresh stock. Xiaoping Duck Heads (小平鸭头) in Hangbu (航埠) describes using only newly prepared stock.
With the braising liquid
At Xiaoping, Zhou Xiaoping (周小平) portions the heads with broth, allows them to cool and vacuum-packs them. Zheng separately describes eating duck heads with their liquid and chopped scallions.
Sources & reading
Written from the linked sources and fact-checked against them on 2026-09-30. Recipes and servings vary between kitchens.