Peking Duck in Rockville, MD: What It Is and Where to Order It

Peking duck is a Beijing roast duck prized for its lacquered, crackling skin. It is carved tableside and eaten wrapped in thin pancakes with hoisin sauce, scallion, and cucumber. At China Jade in Derwood, MD, it is one of our house specialties.

What Is Peking Duck?

Peking duck dates to imperial Beijing and was served in the Ming dynasty court by the 1400s. A whole duck is air-dried, glazed with a maltose-sugar wash, and roasted until the skin turns deep mahogany and shatters at the bite. The technique is built around the skin: air is separated from the meat so the fat renders and the surface crisps instead of steaming.

How Peking Duck Is Served

The classic presentation has three parts:

• The skin and meat: carved into slices and arranged on a plate
• Thin wheat pancakes (báobǐng): soft wrappers about the size of your palm
• Condiments: hoisin or sweet bean sauce, julienned scallion, and cucumber batons

You build each bite at the table: a pancake, a brush of hoisin, a few strips of scallion and cucumber, then the duck with its crisp skin. The contrast of warm, fatty duck against the cool, sharp vegetables and the sweet sauce is the entire point of the dish.

What Makes the Skin Crispy?

Three steps create the texture. First, the duck is air-dried for hours so surface moisture leaves before roasting. Second, a maltose glaze is brushed on, which caramelizes into the glassy, reddish finish. Third, it roasts in a hot oven so the subcutaneous fat renders out and the skin puffs and crisps. Rushing any step yields soft, greasy skin instead of the signature crackle.

Peking Duck vs. Cantonese Roast Duck

They are different dishes. Cantonese roast duck is marinated with a wet, five-spice seasoning inside the cavity and roasted whole to eat as-is, meat and all. Peking duck is about the skin and the pancake ritual, with minimal seasoning so the roast flavor and the condiments carry the plate. If you want to understand how northern and southern Chinese cooking diverge more broadly, see our guide to Szechuan vs. Cantonese cuisine.

Ordering Peking Duck at China Jade

Peking duck sits among the house specialties on our menu. Because a whole duck takes preparation, we recommend calling ahead at (301) 963-1570 to confirm availability and timing, especially for larger tables or weekend dinners. It pairs well with a lighter vegetable and steamed rice, and it is a natural centerpiece when you are ordering for a group.