Roast duck. [File photo]

With a history of more than 600 years, Peking roast duck is the most famous gourmet cuisine of Beijing and one of the most popular foods in China. It has also received worldwide recognition for its tempting shining color, crispy skin and tender meat.

The secret of the delicacy lies in the particular kind of ducks used, which are raised to a specific weight, slaughtered, dressed, syrup-coated, hung dry, and then roasted either in a closed oven or an open oven.

The roast duck will be sliced by the chef and placed beautifully on a plate before the diners, who then eat the meat with pancakes, cucumber, spring onion and a sweet bean sauce.

The stories about the origins of roast duck vary, but it is said that the Peking roast duck can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty. After Zhu Yuanzhang founded the Ming Dynasty in Nanjing, the royal chef roasted the local duck into a delicious dish. Later, as the capital moved to Beijing in the 15th century, the technique of roast duck was also brought there and developed further.

The hanging roast duck of Quanjude and the braise-oven duck of Bianyifang have been listed on the second catalog of national intangible cultural heritage.