National Peking Duck Day
National Peking Duck Day:
Honoring the national dish of China, the Peking Duck, 18th January is celebrated every year as the National Peking Duck Day in the USA.
| Year | Date | Day | Where |
| 2022 | 18th January | Tuesday | United States |
| 2023 | 18th January | Wednesday | United States |
| 2023 | 18th January | Thursday | United States |
Twitter Hashtags:
#NationalPekingDuckDay
#PekingDuckDay
Related: Other National Days Celebrated on January 18th:
Why National Peking Duck Day?
Considered among the most delicious of the dishes from Beijing, the Peking Duck is known for the crisp and thin skin. The duck, which is either the white Beijing variety or the Pekin Duck in the US is grown for nearly 65 days before it is used in preparation for this duck. Air is pumped into the plucked duck between the skin and meat and it is then placed in boiling water, skewered, and then hung for drying. As it dries, sugar syrup is used for glazing and the duck is left for about a day. After this, the duck is hung in the oven with the fat dripping down and the skin gets baste. The process is quite elaborate and the results are amazingly delicious. This is probably a good enough reason to celebrate a day in favor of this wonderful delicacy originating from China.
How can we celebrate National Peking Duck Day:
The intense flavors and the preparation which require a lot of time and effort, make it a dish worthy of your palate. In many restaurants, the dish is served with just the skin and a little meat which again in a dramatic manner is sliced before the diners. The entire process of the Peking Duck meal is quite challenging and requires a lot of patience and diligence to achieve the desired results.
On the National Peking Duck Day, you can choose to have a meal of Peking Duck at a restaurant of your choice or you can choose to make the dish yourself at home and enjoy it with family and friends. You can also watch the movie “A Christmas Story” which features this famous dish by the name of Chinese Turkey on this day.
No matter how you plan to celebrate do let everyone know your perfect way of celebration with #NationalPekingDuckDay and #PekingDuckDay on your social media or online forums.
Interesting facts about National Peking Duck Day:
Peking duck is not just a simple dish but is a complete meal in itself and on this National Peking Duck Day, let us get to know some interesting facts about Peking Duck and the dish itself.
- The Peking Duck is a three portion meal traditionally with the crispy skin dipped into sugar served first. This is followed by thin pancakes filled with bean sauces, hoisin, garlic, onion, cucumber, and the tender meat of the duck. The meal finishes with a duck broth or soup.
- Peking Duck was much sensationalized with the movie “A Christmas Story” after which it attained an amazing high of fame.
- In ancient China, this dish was served or rather could be afforded only by the nobles or the upper-class society.
- The name of the duck originates from Beijing itself, as the city was initially known by the name Peking.
- The origin of the Peking Duck however doesn’t come from Beijing but rather from the capital of Nanjing in China’s Jiangsu province. The dish moved over to Beijing when the capital shifted to this city during the Ming dynasty.
- The dish soon attained the fame of being the national symbol of the country for it was favored by the locals and the visitors alike.
- The duck is either roasted in a closed oven or a hung oven to attain the traditional flavor and taste.
- It was ranked among the ten foods to be tasted before you die by the Huffington Post in the year 2012.
History of National Peking Duck Day:
There is no specific history or story relating to the origins of the National Peking Duck Day. However, we do know that the Peking Duck is a dish whose history dates back to the imperial era in China. The preparation of the Peking Duck is quite elaborate and the method is well-rooted in the tradition dating back to the Yuan Dynasty. Ever since the establishment of the dynasty by Kublai Khan, it is said that this dish preparation has been underway and has evolved into perfection over the years to suit the changing palate of consumers.
