Spicy Duck Neck

Duck neck is slow-cooked again and again in a broth of dozens of medicinal herbs; spicy without being harsh, with meat clinging to the bone and growing more flavorful the longer you chew — a classic snack for drinks and idle nibbling.

Spicy duck neck rose to prominence around the 1990s among braised-snack stalls on Hankou's Jingwu Road, spreading under the name "Jingwu duck neck" across Wuhan and eventually nationwide.

Most often eaten as a late-night bite, a drinking accompaniment or travel snack, served at room temperature and best enjoyed by gnawing slowly.

Its soul is the layered medicinal-spice aroma with a spicy-sweet finish, and the addictive chew of meat tucked around the bone.