China: Beijing – Peking Duck at Bianyifang Restaurant

Bianyifang Restaurant is over 600 years old and (it was founded in 1416) and is famous for its Peking duck. Unlike the open-fire method where the duck is hung over open flames, Bianyifang heats the walls of a thick brick oven first. Once the fire is put out and the smoke clears, the ducks are placed inside, and the oven door is shut tight. The duck cooks entirely via the residual, radiating heat of the brick walls. Because there is no direct flame or moving air, the meat retains a high moisture content, making it exceptionally juicy and the skin is slightly softer and more tender compared to the crispy skin of an open-oven roast. We had the traditional duck bone soup, duck hearts, and of course loads and loads of succulent duck!