Famous Local Food
Beijing Duck
Beijing Duck, or more accurately, Beijing Roast Duck, is the most famous local dish in Beijing. The name comes from the obsolete anglicization of the name of Beijing.

The dish is mostly prized for the thin, crispy skin with authentic versions of the dish serving mostly the skin and little meat. Most restaurants will make two dishes out of one duck -- one with thin slices of skin with a small layer of fat underneath, and another one with the duck meat. The latter is often a noodle or a stir-fry dish. The leftover duck is often then given to patrons so that it can be later boiled into soup.

The history of the Beijing Duck can be traced as far back as the Yuan dynasty (1206 - 1368). By the time of the early 15th century it had become one of the favorite dishes of the imperial Ming family.

The two most famous restaurants in Beijing which serve this specialty are Quanjude and Bianyifang. Both establishments have a history of well over a hundred years and have an extensive network of chain stores.

Preparation
Beijing Duck requires a duck with its head still attached. First, it is inflated with an air pump or other object, separating the skin from the body. Then the skin is scalded with boiling water to make it drier and tauter and brushed with malt sugar (molasses) so that it acquires a dark, rich color with the slight aroma of caramel during the subsequent cooking process. After drying for half a day, the duck is hung by its neck in a hot oven where it is roasted for an hour or more, during which time the copious fat of the duck melts off and the skin becomes crispy. Because a large oven is required, Beijing Duck is not usually prepared at home; Beijing Duck is customarily eaten in a restaurant or bought already prepared at shops or restaurants and taken home to eat.

In China, a special breed of duck is reared in the North exclusively for this dish. The ducks are kept in individual cages and force-fed so that they grow plump and without muscle. Beijing duck is thus also called Beijing stuffed duck because of that.

Serving
A traditional way of serving Beijing Duck is a three course meal: first course was served with the crispy skin and steamed flour pancakes, slivered spring onions (also known as scallions), hoisin sauce, and plum sauce. One places pieces of chopped duck skin on a pancake, adds a bit of hoisin sauce, plum sauce, and scallion. The mixture is rolled up and eaten with the fingers.

The remaining duck meat is usually chopped up, stir-fried, and eaten wrapped in fresh lettuce, while the bones are used for broth.

Restaurants of Beijing Roast Duck
Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant (Hepingmen Branch)
Average cost per person: 100 Yuan - 150 Yuan
Location: 14, Xi Da Jie, Qianmen, Xuanwu District
Hours: 11:00 - 14:00 17:00 - 21:00

Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant (Qianmen Branch)
Average cost per person: 100 Yuan - 150 Yuan
Location: 32, Qianmen Da Jie
Hours: 11:00 - 14:00 17:00 - 21:00

Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant (Wangfujing Branch)
Average cost per person: 50 Yuan - 150 Yuan
Location: 9, Shuaifuyuan Hutong, Wangfujing Da Jie, Dongcheng District
Hours: 11:00-13:30 16:30-20:00

Bianyifang Roast Duck Restaurant (Anhua Branch)
Average cost per person: 50 Yuan - 80 Yuan
Location: 6, Bei Sanhuan Zhong Lu, Chaoyang District
Hours: 11:00-14:00 15:00-21:00