By Henrylito D. Tacio
If you go to Beijing, what is the best Chinese dish you should eat?
Pekin duck, that’s what.
Actually, I really don’t like ducks. But it all changed when I tried the Pekin duck served at the Da Dong Roast Duck Restaurant in Beijing. Although there’s more to the menu than the city’s signature, the Pekin duck is why people go to this place listed as one of “20 Best Beijing Restaurants” by CNN.
Before we came to the restaurant, our guide told us that the dish is prized for its thin, crisp skin — just like our very own lechon. The authentic version is served mostly with the skin and little meat, which are sliced in front of the diners by the cook.
“Duck has been roasted in China since the Southern and Northern Dynasties,” Wikipedia notes. “A variation of roast duck was prepared for the Emperor of China in the Yuan Dynasty. The dish, originally named ‘Shaoyazi,’ was mentioned in the Complete Recipes for Dishes and Beverages manual in 1330 by Hu Sihui, an inspector of the imperial kitchen.
“The Pekin Roast Duck that came to be associated with the term was fully developed during the later Ming Dynasty, and by then, Pekin Duck was one of the main dishes on imperial court menus.”
As I savored my first taste of Pekin Duck, I was reminded of a news item which came out in Manila Bulletin a year ago. It said that Davao City will be exporting Pekin duck meat.
The news report quoted Maharlika Agro-Marine Ventures Corporation president Vicente Lao as saying: “Davao will soon be the center of Pekin duck production in Asia.” The city, after all, has several advantages over other areas. For one, it has cool and elevated areas, which is suitable for raising Pekin ducks.
History records showed that the ducks used to prepare Pekin Duck actually originated in Nanjing. They were small, had black feathers, and lived in the canals around the city linking major waterways. With the relocation of the Chinese capital to Beijing, supply barge traffic increased in the area. Often these barges would spill grain into the canals, providing food for the ducks. By the Five Dynasties, the new species of duck had been domesticated by Chinese farmers.
In the Philippines, Pekin duck is sometimes mistaken for a goose because it carries its body rather upright. It is docile and well-adapted to Philippine climate. It is a good layer; the ducklings are ready for market at 2-3 months old.
In recent years, Pekin duck is getting popular among Filipino consumers. “Through internet and the booming popularity of social media has linked the Filipinos with their Asian neighbors, exposing them to different cultures, including food, particularly the varied duck fares which is considered an Asian specialty,” noted Dr. Erwin Joseph S. Cruz, free-range poultry and Pekin duck specialist and fellow of the Philippine College of Poultry Practitioners.
As a result, “Filipino chefs, restaurant owners and food concessionaires who are constantly looking for something new beside chicken, beef and pork welcome duck in their roster of new delights for Pinoy taste buds to savor,” wrote Dr. Cruz in an article which appeared in Marid Agribusiness Magazine.
In his article, Dr. Cruz shared some good news about duck production: “Since the year 2000, the world annual consumption of duck meat rapidly increased from 2,877.4 million tons to 4,081 million tons in 2010. For this reason, a further growth in the per capita consumption of duck is expected due to the boost in tourism, plus the economic progress in the Asian region.”
In the past, duck meat is described as “tough, slimy, and has a fishy taste.” It also has more bones than meat. To improve the meat quality of the ducks raised in the Philippines, some farmers imported breeders from Europe.
The offspring of imported certified parent stocks and local breeds “resulted to a much improved domestic Pekin duck that grows to 3.2 kilos to 4 kilos live weight at 60 days and dressed at 2.3 kilos to 2.7 kilos with head and feet on,” Dr. Cruz reported.
Duck production these days is getting better. According to Dr. Cruz, from a small production of 250 per week of ducklings in 2008, it has now grown to a weekly production of 3,000 to 4,000 day-old ducklings a week.
“The breeders are mostly smallholder farmers scattered nationwide where we expect an increase of breeders particularly on rural areas to rely on Pekin duck as a major livelihood source,” he said.
Indeed, the future of Pekin duck in the Philippines is brighter. “The continuous demand for ducklings nationwide is a good indication that there is potential for the product even in the provincial areas,” Dr. Cruz wrote. “Another indication is the acceptance of Chinese restaurant of the local produce due to regular orders.
“The good support of our local chefs in introducing duck meat in their culinary programs has boosted the acceptability of the bird. Variations in cooking have also made it easier for restaurants to integrate ducks in their menus,” he said.
Dr. Cruz sees further spread of integration of duck meat in the local food scene in the coming years. “In the next 5 years, I predict that duck meat will be part of the fast food sector,” he wrote.
“Let us support our local farmers by buying their ducks,” Dr. Cruz urged. “Give them feedback on how to further improve their products and assist them in making a sustainable local farming program.”
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