Shaxian Pressed Duck

Among Shaxian pressed duck, the most famous is "Zhenghu Pressed Duck."

　　   Shaxian pressed duck is a traditional delicacy with a long history. When Song Dynasty Prime Minister Li Gang was exiled to Shaxian, he praised Shaxian pressed duck as the finest poultry meat. This product is made from semi-domesticated ducks raised on local farms, featuring premium meat quality, rich nutrition, and carefully selected ingredients. The finished product is flat in shape, golden-yellow in color, fragrant and delicious, with a well-balanced saltiness, aromatic without being greasy. It requires no additional seasonings—just steam it over boiling water for ten minutes before eating. The product contains various vitamins and amino acids, making it a high-protein, low-fat nutritious delicacy, perfect for entertaining guests or giving as a gift. The "Shayang Brand" pressed duck has consecutively won 10 honors at provincial and national agricultural product fairs, including "Best New Product Award," "Most Popular with Consumers Award," and "Best-Selling Product Award." Currently, a range of related products have also been developed, such as soy sauce duck, fermented duck, beer duck, osmanthus duck, duck feet, duck wings, and dried duck gizzard. The county processes over 3 million pressed ducks annually.

Among Shaxian pressed duck, the most famous is "Zhenghu Pressed Duck." Shaxian pressed duck has a long production history. Due to its firm texture, rich but not greasy taste, lean but not tough meat, and enduring fragrance, it was already hailed as the "finest poultry meat" as far back as the Song Dynasty. Today, Shaxian pressed duck has evolved from a festive home-cooked dish to a product, commodity, and even a gift—a distinctive local industry rich in traditional cultural character.

Pressed duck is also known as "cured duck" or "duck bacon." Every lunar month of December, when farm work winds down, rural households commonly cure pressed duck. The general method involves slaughtering the duck, plucking the feathers, gutting and cleaning it, then rubbing it with minced garlic, salt, and chili for curing. Some also apply a small amount of saltpeter to both preserve the meat and enhance its firmness, giving it a bright red color. The cured duck is then air-dried on bamboo skewers, roasted over charcoal, and finally smoked in a pot with rice bran until it turns golden yellow.

Zhenghu pressed duck is made from semi-domesticated ducks raised on farmland, offering premium meat quality, rich nutrition, and carefully selected ingredients. The pressed duck processed using traditional methods results in firm meat that is rich but not greasy, lean but not tough, and very chewy. Its characteristics are: first, thick meat—generally using ducks weighing over 2250 grams; second, applying a layer of sesame oil on the surface during air-drying to enhance aroma; third, using tea seed husks during roasting, resulting in a richly fragrant finished product.

Preparation Method:

Clean and cut into pieces, then steam with rice wine or braise in soy sauce for a unique flavor—tender, fragrant, and delicious, making it an excellent dish for entertaining guests. The pressed duck here benefits from special raw materials and a favorable farming environment, resulting in resilient meat. After curing, it achieves a thick yet tender texture, rich but not greasy.

1. Chop the soy sauce pressed duck into pieces, line the plate bottom with a few slices of ginger, and drizzle with a spoonful of cooking wine.

2. Steam in a pot over high heat for about half an hour.

3. Wash and chop green chili and onion into pieces, and prepare a small amount of ginger, garlic slices, dried chili, and Sichuan peppercorns.

4. Heat a pan over a low flame, add a little oil, and gently stir-fry the ginger, garlic, chili, and Sichuan peppercorns until fragrant.

5. Add the green chili and onion pieces and stir-fry until just cooked.

6. Pour in the steamed pressed duck pieces, add a little sugar, stir briefly, then serve.