Nanjing salted duck

{{Infobox food | name = Nanjing salted duck | image = Nanjing salted duck.JPG | image_size = | image_alt =Nanjing salted duck | caption = | alternate_name = Chinese: 盐水鸭, 鹽水鴨 | type = Duck dishes | country = China | region = Nanjing | national_cuisine = Jinling cuisine, Jiangsu cuisine | similar_dish = Peking duck | no_recipes= true }}

'''Nanjing salted duck''' ({{zh|s=盐水鸭|t=鹽水鴨|p=yánshuǐ yā}}) is a local duck dish from Nanjing, China.<ref>{{cite book|last=Foster|first=Simon|title=Frommer's China|url=https://archive.org/details/frommershawaii200000fost|url-access=registration|year=2010|page=[https://archive.org/details/frommershawaii200000fost/page/407 407]|publisher=Wiley |isbn=978-0-470-49765-4}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Knapp|first=Ronald|title=Chinese landscapes: the village as place|page=217}}</ref> The history of the dish goes back hundreds of years, in legend to the 14th century, but it grew more famous during the Qing Dynasty.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=A duck dish to die for |url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/life/2010-01/09/content_9292474.htm |access-date=2022-03-17 |website=www.chinadaily.com.cn}}</ref> The white duck-meat is tender and has some fat without being greasy.<ref name=":7" />

Nanjing is a culinary centre noted for its Jinling dishes,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-09-21 |title=Food in Nanjing, China: Best Food and Restaurants |url=https://museumofwander.com/food-in-nanjing/ |access-date=2022-03-17 |website=Museum of Wander |language=en-US}}</ref> especially quality ducks and a whole variety of duck dishes.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://kaleidoscope.cultural-china.com/en/8K5061K11143.html |title=Nanjing Salted Duck |access-date=2012-08-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003033941/http://kaleidoscope.cultural-china.com/en/8K5061K11143.html |archive-date=2012-10-03 }}</ref> Over 100 million ducks per year are eaten in the city of 8 million.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201912/26/WS5e03a3c4a310cf3e355809d9.html|title = Taste buds tantalized in nation's 'duck capital'}}</ref>

The popularity of Nanjing salted duck resembles Peking duck's in northern China.<ref name=":7" /> Some historians believe that the ducks were first raised as livestock by the Nanjing people more than two thousand years ago.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Nanjing Salted Duck - China - Chinadaily.com.cn |url=https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/regional/2016-08/31/content_26754493.htm |access-date=2022-03-17 |website=www.chinadaily.com.cn}}</ref> The Nanjing salted duck is recorded as a gourmet entry in the ''List of Jinling's Delicacies'' by the modern Chinese gourmet Tongzhi Zhang.<ref name=":3" /> The flavour of Nanjing salted duck is developed through a series of steps, including dry-curing, salting, roasting and boiling, which has the effect of oxidizing and degrading the duck's fat.<ref name=":6" />

Ducks raised in autumn are most favoured by some diners, based on the belief that their flesh smells sweetly of osmanthus.<ref name=":7" /> Osmanthus is closely associated with the dish; some restaurants add it to the broth during autumn, naming the resulting dish "osmanthus duck".<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":1" /> In parts of China, taro and salted duck are combined.<ref name=":7" />

== Place of origin == Duck products are widely eaten in China for their flavour and perceived nutritional value.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Liu |first1=Yuan |last2=Xu |first2=Xing-lian |last3=Zhou |first3=Guang-hong |title=Changes in taste compounds of duck during processing |journal=Food Chemistry |date=January 2007 |volume=102 |issue=1 |pages=22–26 |doi=10.1016/j.foodchem.2006.03.034 }}</ref> Nanjing, a city on the southern bank of the Yangtze River has a long history of duck farming, with some evidence that ducks were raised as livestock in the old city of Nanjing more than 2,000 years ago.<ref name=":1" /> In the early Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the salted duck was widely eaten by the general population as well as the emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang.<ref name=":1" />

== Legendary origins == One legend holds that when Zhu Yuanzhang was the emperor (with Nanjing as the capital in the 14th century), there was a dispute of sorts, and an edict was issued to kill all the roosters in the city. This solved a noise problem, but the result was no chicken to eat. The people of Nanjing had to eat duck instead, which gave rise to the prominence in Nanjing of duck dishes like Nanjing salted duck.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nanjing's salted duck: A dish fit for royalty |url=http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20180905-nanjings-salted-duck-a-dish-fit-for-royalty}}</ref> Other accounts claim that Nanjing was famed for duck dishes centuries earlier, dating even to the Southern Dynasties (420~589 A.D.).<ref>[http://www.china.org.cn/top10/2010-12/03/content_21476042_7.htm Top 10 gourmet cities in China - China.org.cn]</ref><ref>[http://www.chinaknowledge.de/History/Division/nanchao.html Chinese History - Southern Dynasties 南朝 (www.chinaknowledge.de)]</ref>

During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), near the Fuzimiao, the examination venue for the imperial examinations, major restaurants and teahouses specialised in preparing brine duck to satisfy the taste buds of students.<ref name=":2" />

== Gastronomical records == The gourmet entry for Nanjing salted duck was recorded in Tongzhi Zhang's ''List of Jinling's Delicacies'' published in February 1947, one of the 61 entries in his selection.<ref name=":3">{{cite journal |last1=Montanari |first1=Andrea |title=Gastronomic Practice in Zhang Tongzhi's List of Jinling's Delicacies |journal=Gastronomica |date=1 November 2019 |volume=19 |issue=4 |pages=10–19 |doi=10.1525/gfc.2019.19.4.10 |s2cid=210467209 }}</ref> These 61 gourmet entries cover a wide range of local delicacies that Tongzhi Zhang has tasted in Nanjing during his lifetime, including but not limited to raw materials, processed foods and cooked dishes.<ref name=":3" />

Tongzhi Zhang (1875-1948), who came from the present Luhe district of Nanjing, was not only a highly respected scholar, educator, poet, calligrapher and painter in contemporary China, but also a gourmet.<ref name=":3" /> The fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911 forced Tongzhi Zhang to leave officialdom for Nanjing, where he spent the rest of his life.<ref name=":3" /> ''List of Jinling's Delicacies'' is included in ''Nanjing wenxian'' (Nanjing documents), then edited by Tongzhi Zhang himself, as a food review that is a testament to his ability to console himself by sampling the local cuisine of Nanjing.<ref name=":3" /> In addition to Nanjing salted duck, many of the 61 gourmet entries recorded by Tongzhi Zhang are still representative of Nanjing's local specialties these days.<ref name=":3" />

According to Tongzhi Zhang's comments, for the meat of the Nanjing salted duck to be fatty enough, the ducks used for cooking must be carefully reared, with particular attention to the feed fed to the ducks.<ref name=":3" /> The distinctive flavour, perfect tenderness and moderate saltiness of Nanjing salted duck are all due to the right amount of time and salt used in the curing process.<ref name=":3" /> This is also due to the moist heat cooking technique used in the production of Nanjing salted duck, which makes the duck meat to be fleshy and firm and full of juices.<ref name=":1" /> It is therefore crucial to control the temperature during the cooking process of the duck, otherwise neither the aroma nor the taste of the duck meat will reach the standard value, and it may even be said to be irrelevant to the quality of authentic Nanjing salted duck.<ref name=":3" /> Finally, Tongzhi Zhang also mentions the reputation and popularity of the salted duck produced and sold by Hanfuxing Shop in Nanjing because of its rich and attractive aroma and fatty but not greasy taste.<ref name=":3" />

==Cooking method== thumb|Prepared salted duck on the table. The duck, with wings and feet removed, is cleaned and drained. Spices and recipes vary, but a simple approach is to rub pepper into the body with more stuffed inside. The duck is cooked in a pot, pickled (1–2 hours in summer, 4 hours in winter), and hung to dry in a well ventilated area. The duck is then simmered in water with ginger, onion, and star anise. Finally, the duck is cut into strips.

== Flavour and production techniques == thumb|The dry-curing step in the process of making Nanjing salted duck at home. Among the many traditional meat products in China, Nanjing salted duck is one of the few processed meat products cooked at low temperatures.<ref name=":4">{{cite journal |last1=Liu |first1=Yuan |last2=Xu |first2=Xing-lian |last3=Zhou |first3=Guang-hong |title=Comparative study of volatile compounds in traditional Chinese Nanjing marinated duck by different extraction techniques |journal=International Journal of Food Science & Technology |date=May 2007 |volume=42 |issue=5 |pages=543–550 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-2621.2006.01264.x }}</ref> As a famous local appetiser,<ref name=":1" /> Nanjing salted duck is well known for its tender and flavourful taste and meticulous processing.<ref name=":4" /> Although Nanjing salted duck may appear to be an ordinary dish at first glance, its unique and rich flavour has made it a cornerstone of Jinling cuisine, thus not only rivalling Peking duck in terms of taste,<ref name=":1" /> but also enjoying similar popularity and reputation as Peking duck.<ref name=":5">{{cite journal |last1=Wang |first1=Di |last2=Zhang |first2=Jian |last3=Zhu |first3=Zongshuai |last4=Lei |first4=Yang |last5=Huang |first5=Suhong |last6=Huang |first6=Ming |title=Effect of ageing time on the flavour compounds in Nanjing water-boiled salted duck detected by HS-GC-IMS |journal=LWT |date=February 2022 |volume=155 |article-number=112870 |doi=10.1016/j.lwt.2021.112870 |s2cid=244700169 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Jinling cuisine is the ancient Chinese name for Nanjing cuisine, which is subordinate to Jiangsu cuisine, one of the eight major cuisines of China, and can be traced back to the Six Dynasties (222-589 A.D.).<ref name=":1" />

Cooked duck products are a popular food not only in China, but all over the world, and Nanjing salted duck is one of the most well-known ones.<ref name=":6">{{cite journal |last1=Liu |first1=Yuan |last2=Xu |first2=Xing-lian |last3=Ouyang |first3=Gang-feng |last4=Zhou |first4=Guang-hong |title=Changes in Volatile Compounds of Traditional Chinese Nanjing Water-boiled Salted Duck During Processing |journal=Journal of Food Science |date=May 2006 |volume=71 |issue=4 |pages=S371–S377 |doi=10.1111/j.1750-3841.2006.00020.x }}</ref> Nanjing salted duck is cooked in the traditional Chinese brine method at low temperatures, and its tender and flavourful taste has made it a world-famous local specialty.<ref name=":6" /> In China, brine is recognised as a means of treating raw meat with only a bloody smell, and it is widely used in the preparation of various cooked meat products with traditional characteristics.<ref name=":6" /> As a traditional cured meat cooked with this technique, the flavour is the most important sensory quality and characteristic of Nanjing salted duck.<ref name=":6" /> Due to the high unsaturated fatty acid content of the duck, the oxidation and degradation of the fat are essential for the formation of the perfect taste of the duck meat, which is also the key to Nanjing salted duck's unique flavour.<ref name=":6" /> The production process involves a series of steps such as dry-curing, salting, roasting and boiling,<ref name=":6" /> all of which are essential,<ref name=":5" /> as they together contribute to the oxidation and degradation of the fat.<ref name=":6" /> When the products of fat degradation are increased, the typical and distinctive flavour of Nanjing salted duck is created and enhanced.<ref name=":6" />

The dry-curing process makes an important contribution to the degradation of duck fat by accelerating its oxidation to a great extent throughout the production process of Nanjing salted duck.<ref name=":6" /> During the curing process, it is better if the whole duck is completely immersed in the aged brine, which is the salting step, and this is why other categories of cooked duck products never reach the flavour and quality standards of the Nanjing salted duck.<ref name=":6" /> The optimum ageing time for duck is 24 hours, which is more conducive to the processing and subsequent flavour formation of the salted duck and is also more suitable for real-life production.<ref name=":5" /> The ageing step often follows the brining (salting) and is somewhat similar to the processing of ham.<ref name=":5" /> As the ageing time increases, the water content of the duck meat decreases, so the dehydration caused by excessive ageing time can seriously affect the water locking capacity of the duck meat, which is detrimental to the oxidation of fat and thus hinders the formation and development of the flavour of Nanjing salted duck.<ref name=":5" />

To summarise the whole process, in the dry-curing step, the salt inhibits the formation of bitterness, which contributes to the mellow taste and flavour of Nanjing salted duck; in the brining step, the taste and flavour of the duck are greatly enhanced after brine stewing; in the ageing step, the rapid reduction of fat in the duck makes the meat firmer; and the final boiling step further enhances the tender and tasty taste of the duck meat.<ref name=":5" />

== Special recipes == The fame of Nanjing salted duck has long been known to have profoundly influenced many surrounding cities near Nanjing and has successfully made its way to the tables of people in Shanghai and Hangzhou.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |title=Delicacies for autumn feasts |url=http://english.www.gov.cn/news/2014/09/09/content_281474986281646.htm |access-date=2022-05-21 |website=english.www.gov.cn}}</ref> Just as mashed potatoes and turkey are the signature pairing for Thanksgiving dinner in the United States, taro and duck are the perfect combination for the Mid-Autumn Festival meal in Shanghai, China.<ref name=":7" /> The number of recipes developed by chefs in China using taro and duck, both in professional and private kitchens, is innumerable.<ref name=":7" /> In the Yangtze River Delta region of eastern China, it is a common practice to cut up peeled taro, stir-fry it with salt and spring onions, and then cook it in a pot with duck bought from a nearby delicatessen.<ref name=":7" /> In this case, the Nanjing salted duck, with its rich and attractive aroma and fatty but not greasy taste, is always one of the most popular choices.<ref name=":7" /> In Guangdong province of southern China, the soup-loving Cantonese people choose to put taro and duck together in a slow-cooked soup over low heat, which according to the principles and claims of traditional Chinese medical science, can soothe the dryness that people feel in the body during autumn.<ref name=":7" />

== Honorary achievements ==

* In 2012, Nanjing salted duck was listed as a Chinese geographical indication agricultural product.<ref name=":1" /> * In 2014, ''Modern Express'', a local newspaper in Nanjing, launched a campaign in which Nanjing salted duck was named as one of the eight most popular dishes in Nanjing.<ref name=":1" /> * In 2014, during the Youth Olympic Games held in Nanjing, Nanjing salted duck was included in the athletes' diet menu, thus giving athletes from all over the world the opportunity to taste this very representative Jiangsu specialty.<ref name=":1" />

==See also== {{portal|Food}} * List of duck dishes

==References== {{Reflist|2}}

===Additional sources=== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20181215122221/http://news.163.com/10/0518/05/66ULG75J00014AED.html 南京盐水鸭_网易新闻中心] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20120426025419/http://hb.qq.com/a/20090709/000396.htm 南京盐水鸭_旅游新闻_大楚网_腾讯网] * [http://www.hudong.com/wiki/%E5%8D%97%E4%BA%AC%E7%9B%90%E6%B0%B4%E9%B8%AD 南京盐水鸭_互动百科]

Category:Chinese meat dishes Category:Duck dishes