Sweet-Skinned Duck

Also called sweet-skin braised duck, the bird is first simmered in a spiced master stock and then its skin is brushed with malt sugar or rock-sugar syrup and finished over high heat or in oil, turning the skin a glossy reddish-brown, crisp and faintly sweet while the meat stays tender with the aroma of the braise, sweet and savoury at once without being heavy or dry.

The dish originated in Mocheng old town of Leshan's Jiajiang county, its method said to descend from Qing imperial braised-duck technique and refined by folk cooks; over the past four decades it has risen to fame across Leshan, standing with qiaojiao beef and bobo chicken as one of the city's three great foods, with houses such as Zhao Yazi and Ji Liuniang passing the craft down the generations.

Sold whole or cut by weight, it is eaten cold or gently warmed, most often as a drinking dish, a banquet cold plate or a gift to carry when visiting friends and family, prized for its crisp fragrant skin and lingering sweetness.

The contrast between the malt-sugar-glazed reddish, sweet skin and the aromatic, tender braised flesh is what sets sweet-skinned duck apart from ordinary braised or roast duck.