One lotus-leaf pancake rolls up the taste of Beijing.
Beijing roast duck's fine points run from choosing the duck to carving it — not one step may be missed.
Beijing roast duck uses force-fed ducks roasted in a hanging oven. The fragrance of date wood soaks into the skin, which turns a glossy date-red. The carver wheels the cart to the table, knife rising and falling, slicing the skin into thin pieces — no more, no less.
Eat the duck fresh-carved. Spread the pancake, brush on sweet bean sauce, add scallion and cucumber, roll two slices of skin and bite: crisp skin, tender meat, sauce and onion exploding together.
When Beijingers entertain, roast duck is the proper dish. The fires of Quanjude have burned since the Qing dynasty, the hanging-oven masters passing the craft from one generation to the next. From selecting the duck to serving it, dozens of steps — all of Beijing's fastidiousness is in this duck.
