Shi Guanyin Smoked Duck

Shi Guanyin Smoked Duck

　　Created during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty by an elderly woman surnamed Zhou in Shiguiyinchang (now Guansheng Town), originally named “Zhou’s Smoked Duck.” The production process combines curing, smoking, and braising. It uses young ducks that are plucked, bled, and cleaned of internal organs, then split at the keel bone. The ducks are placed in jars to marinate, then pressed heavily for 24 hours to form a flat shape. After slight smoking, they are boiled in a brine containing 18 different spices. The result features golden skin, tender and aromatic meat, dry but not hard, oily but not greasy, sandy in texture but not mushy, with a long-lasting flavor and chewy bite. (Chongzhou)