Dried Bamboo Shoots and Old Duck Stew

Dried Bamboo Shoots and Old Duck Stew

　　Dried Bamboo Shoots and Old Duck Stew, also known as Zhang Shengji Old Duck Stew, is a signature dish from Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. The broth is rich and flavorful, oily but not greasy, tender yet not falling apart, and stimulates the appetite. The main ingredient is a local Jiangnan duck, specifically the Mallard native to China. To maintain the tenderness of the meat, ducks used are best within sixty days of hatching. The stew is prepared using an exclusive recipe and slow-cooked in a clay pot. Among Hangzhou’s old duck stews, Zhang Shengji’s version is the most popular.

　　Dried Bamboo Shoots and Old Duck Stew is a convenient and simple soup dish with Jiangnan flavors. Poultry such as chicken and duck requires proper breakdown of fat and protein during cooking to achieve a tender texture that is easy to eat, as well as a rich, savory broth that is easy to absorb. Therefore, using a heat-retaining clay pot and slow simmering over low heat is key to making this dish. It can be considered a “time-intensive” dish—where the effort refers mainly to time. In the Jiangnan region, there is a tradition of eating duck during the hot summer months to nourish the body. Combined with freshly available dried bamboo shoots, the dish gains extra umami while cutting through the richness, resulting in a refreshing taste.