That crispy skin! Who can resist its taste and texture? It might be the most popular element of Peking Duck, a Chinese dish of roasted duck. It can be found in a number of restaurants in Chinatown. The version at China King might be one of the most popular.
During the 19th century, nearly all U.S. newspaper references to Peking Duck referred to the breed and not the dish. This breed was introduced into the U.S. during the 1870s and quickly became very desired.
One of the first references to Peking Duck as a dish was in an article titled What Chinese Eat, and which was printed in several newspapers in 1900. The Kenosha News (WI), September 20, 1900, stated, “Poultry is also one of the strong points of Chinese farming and cooking. The Peking ducks are celebrated throughout the empire for their size and delicacy, and the preparation of their flesh is one of the finest evidences of Chinese skill in cookery.”
The first reference I found for a U.S. restaurant specially serving Peking Duck was in the Press & Sun-Bulletin (NY), December 24, 1919, which had an advertisement for the Victory Restaurant, which served Chinese & American cuisine. One of their Christmas dinner specials was Roast Peking Duck, with Stuffing, for $1.00. However, one of the first Mandarin restaurants in the U.S. was the Mandarin Inn Cafe in Chicago, which opened in 1911, and it seems likely they served Peking Duck.
After World War II, Mandarin restaurants started to appear across the U.S. with one of the first being The Peking Restaurant in Washington, D.C. in 1947. Peking Duck also started to be mentioned in Boston newspapers during the 1940s, though the articles were about it being served elsewhere, and not in Boston.
A lengthy article in the Boston Globe, October 7, 1948, described a restaurant in Peking and the preparation and serving of Peking Duck. It was noted that “The Peking duck certainly deserves the fame it has achieved. The ducks are kept in a dark room and artificially fed until they have reached the right age and plumpness. Then they are broiled over an open fire until the skin is browned and crisp. The duck is then brought in and exhibited before being carved into small pieces. It is eaten in this manner. Small, delicate pancakes are served along with the duck, and the diner places a bit of the duck in the pancake, covers it with a mysterious but magnificent sauce, along with a bit of sweet onion and cucumber and a dab of soy sauce, rolls it up, and eats it with his fingers.”
Peking Duck is part of Mandarin cuisine, and the first Mandarin restaurant wasn’t established in Massachusetts until 1958, when the famed Joyce Chen, opened her first restaurant in Cambridge. Her menu listed Peking Duck ($10), describing it as “Duck specially prepared and served with Mandarin pancakes, a famous Peking speciality—Order one day in advance.” She was the first to serve Peking Duck in the Boston area.
Only two years later, another Mandarin restaurant opened in the area, in Medford. The Boston Globe, May 17, 1960, had an ad for Peking on Mystic, at 66 High Street, Medford, which served Mandarin and Shanghai style Chinese food. They served Peking Duck for $9.50, and it had to be ordered in advance. During the 1970s, several other Boston and Cambridge restaurants started serving Peking Duck. Part of this was fueled by interest in China due to President Nixon’s visit to that country.
Today, Peking Duck can be found in Boston’s Chinatown restaurants including China King, Empire Garden, Peach Farm, China Pearl, and New Jumbo Seafood.
China King, owned and operated by Doris Huang, makes one of the most famed Peking Ducks in the city. I interviewed Doris, and we discussed her Peking Duck. Prior to the pandemic, they used to sell about 20 Peking Ducks a week, and that number has obviously significantly decreased during the last six months. On Thanksgiving, they have sold as many as 50 Peking Ducks, a ‘Chinese turkey,’ in a single day.
At China King, their Peking Duck dish is served three ways. First, it’s served traditionally, with flour pancakes and hoisin sauce. Second, shredded duck is stir-fried, served with hand-pulled noodles, and third, some of the duck served in a soup with tofu and vermicelli. The order will serve four people and costs about $60. A day’s notice is required, and maybe even longer near peak holidays such as Thanksgiving.
Ordering Peking Duck for take-out, from any restaurant. would also be an excellent way to support Chinatown restaurants during these troubled times.
For more information on Peking Duck, you may read Richard Auffrey’s articles on Chinatown history at: https://passionatefoodie.blogspot.com/2020/04/all-about-bostons-chinatown-chinese.html
To read this article in Chinese (Traditional), please click here.
