Peking duck 北京烤鸭
Peking duck is featured among the local specialties of Beijing.
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A shared roast-duck meal built around crisp skin and carved meat.
How it is made
The duck is seasoned, air-dried and roasted until its skin becomes lacquered and crisp. Carved slices are brought out with thin pancakes, scallion and a sweet bean sauce; cucumber is a common additional accompaniment.
Flavour & texture
The pleasure comes from brittle skin against tender meat, with fresh vegetables cutting through the rich fat.
Local roots & traditions
This is a shared Beijing restaurant meal, where the carving and pancake assembly are part of the experience.
Ingredients & dietary needs
Duck is served with wheat pancakes, scallion and a sweet bean-based sauce, often with cucumber. The sauce may contain wheat and soy, and accompaniments vary. Specify any ingredient restrictions when booking or ordering; the carving presentation alone cannot establish what went into the glaze or sauce.
How to order Peking duck
Ask whether a half duck is available and how the remaining bones will be used. Ask how many diners the duck order is intended for and whether pancakes and sauce are included or replenished separately. Eat the assembled pancakes promptly, while the contrast between crisp skin and tender wrapper is strongest. A menu photograph showing a whole bird does not necessarily describe the portion brought to your table.
How to eat it & plan a meal
For a first serving, put a little sauce on a pancake, add a few slices and some vegetables, then fold it into a small parcel. Taste a piece of skin separately if the restaurant serves it that way. A half duck, where offered, leaves room for vegetables and another dish without turning a small party's order into a banquet.
Names & local variations
Peking duck is distinct from the chopped roast-duck portions served in Nanjing and from Cantonese roast duck. The carving, pancakes and table assembly are useful identity clues. Restaurants may offer duck-bone soup or another use of the carcass; confirm what is included before assuming that every part of the bird becomes an additional course.
More dishes to compare
Explore related local specialties and compare their names, preparation notes and ordering guidance.
Zhajiangmian 炸酱面 →
Wheat noodles are boiled separately while diced pork is fried with fermented soybean paste into a thick sauce. Cucumber and other finely cut vegetables are arranged on top for mixing. The sauce is salty, deeply savory and oily; fresh vegetables lighten the mouthful while firm noodles supply chew.
Luzhu bread-and-offal stew 卤煮火烧 →
Pork intestine and other offal simmer in a seasoned broth with firm wheat bread and fried tofu. The bread is cut so its interior can soak up the cooking liquid. Expect a full-bodied, offal-forward bowl: soft bread, porous tofu and chewy meat contrast with the salty broth.
Questions before you order
What name should I show when ordering?
Show 北京烤鸭 for Peking duck.
