Chinese · main
Peking Duck (北京烤鸭)
Peking Duck (北京烤鸭) reads umami 8.2, richness 7.0 and salinity 5.0 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Chinese main, about 3 hr. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.
The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10
- Umami & Savory — 9.0 / 10
- Sweet & Fruity — 4.5 / 10
- Sour & Bright — 1.1 / 10
- Bitter & Earthy — 1.1 / 10
- Rich & Fat — 7.4 / 10
- Aromatic & Spice — 2.6 / 10
The measured notes (of 18)
Umami 8.2 · Richness 7.0 · Salinity 5.0 · Sweetness 4.4 · Funk & Ferment 3.1 · Herbaceous 2.3 · Allium 1.8 · Warm Spice 1.5 · Nutty 1.3 · Sourness 1.1 · Earthy 1.0 · Heat 0.9 · Floral 0.9 · Bitterness 0.7
What's in it (9)
- 1 whole duck (5-6 lbs)
- 3 tbsp maltose syrup
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp five-spice powder
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 4 scallions
- 1 cucumber, julienned
- 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
- 16 thin pancakes
Time & effort: about 3 hr (30 min active) · effort: medium
Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 305.2 kcal, 8.1 g protein, 21.4 g fat, 19.6 g carbs
Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.
How it's cooked (3 steps)
- Blanch the duck with boiling water, coat the skin with a maltose-soy glaze, and air-dry overnight.
- Roast in a wood-fired or conventional oven at high heat until the skin is lacquered and crackling.
- Slice the skin and meat tableside and serve wrapped in thin pancakes with hoisin, scallions, and cucumber.
Dishes with a similar flavor shape
- Lasagna al Forno — Italian
- Lion's Head Meatballs (Shizi Tou) — Chinese · Jiangnan
- Beef Chow Fun — Chinese · Cantonese
- Black Pepper Beef Stir-Fry — Chinese-American
- Tortellini in Brodo — Italian · Emilia-Romagna
Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.
See how this dish fits your palate — take the short taste test →
Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.