Beijing Roast Duck ,Beijing Duck

Beijing Duck or Beijing Roast Duck
Beijing Roast duck is thought to be one of the most delicious dishes all over the world; most visitors coming to Beijing will never forget to have a try. Eating Peking duck is seen to be one of the two things you are absolutely supposed to do while in Beijing.How roast duck was made?You might want to know more about how Peking Roasted Duck is made. The ducks are raised for the sole purpose of making the food. Force-fed, they are kept in cages which restrain them from moving about, so as to fatten them up and make the meat comparably tender.Special farms supply plump Beijing ducks weighing an average of 2.5 kilograms each. The two famous Beijing condiment shops, Liubiju and Tianyuan, supply the dark tangy bean sauce spread on the pancakes. The fragrant sesame oil and refined sugar are also specially selected. Finally, only the wood of fruit trees such as date, peach and pear are used in the roasting process to give the meat its unique fragrance.Select a duck with whole skin. First the ducks are rubbed with spices, salt and sugar, and then kept hung in the air for some time. Cuts open the belly and draw, and then insert a 2 inch long piece of wood to support the chest bone and to stretch the skin. Hook the duck by the neck, spread diluted maltose over it. Hang the duck in an airy place to dry.The stuffed duck is hung in the roaster and kettles of hot water are placed in front to fill out the duck. Proper timing and temperature are important and the duck is turned often enough to roast them completely and evenly. (Try 350°F turn every 15 minutes, total roasting time about 40 minutes). Roast until golden brown with rich grease perspiring outside and have a nice odor.What is Beijing Duck Recipe?Normally there are many dishes served with the duck, including a dish of fine-cut shallot bars, a dish of cucumber bars and finally a dish of paste-like soy of fermented wheat flour. It is not necessary to order extra soup, for the duck-bone soup is always included in you order. It will be served as the rear dish for the dinner.History of Roast DuckThe art of roasting ducks evolved from techniques used to prepare sucking pigs.The history of the roast duck can be traced back to as early as the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368) when it was listed among the imperial dishes in the Complete Recipes for Dishes and Beverages, written in 1330 by Hu Sihui, an inspector of the imperial kitchen. Details regarding the cooking process were also described in this early cookbook.In the early 15th century, when the Ming Dynasty capital was shifted from Nanjing to Beijing, roast duck remained one of the famous dishes on imperial court menus. According to the local history, the earliest roast duck restaurant in Beijing was the old Bianyifang Restaurant, which opened during the Jiajing reign (1522-1566). Distinct from the method in which the duck is hung from a hook in the ceiling of the oven and roasted over and roasted over burning wood, the Old Bianyifang Restaurant roasted its ducks with radiant heat. The walls of the oven were first heated with sorghum stalks whereupon the duck was placed inside and cooked by the heat given off by the walls. A duck roasted in this manner is crisp to the touch and golden brown in appearance; its flesh is both tender and tasty.During the Qianlong period (1736-1796), roast duck was a favorite delicacy of the upper classes. According to Recipes from the Suiyuan Garden, the famous cookbook written by the poet and gourmet Yuan Mei, "Roast duck is prepared by revolving a young duckling on a spit in an oven. The chefs of Inspector Feng's family excel in preparing this dish." Other scholars, after dining on roast duck, were inspired to poetry. In one collection of old Beijing rhymes (Duan Zhuzhici) one of the poems reads: "Fill your plates with roast duck and suckling pig." Another contemporary annotation reads: "When an official gives a banquet he will choose dishes to please each of his guests. For example, Bianyifang's roast duck…"To satisfy the growing demand for roast duck, and with an eye on the profits to be made from a good name, many restaurants opened from a good name, many restaurants opened under the Bianyifang name. In fact, in 1926, nine roast duck restaurants in Beijing carried this name. In the late 1960s the Bianyifang Restaurant's name was changed to the Chongwenmen Roast Duck Restaurant, but in 1979 it resumed its former title. Its menu includes more than 20 traditional duck dishes, including the Four Delicacies: wing and web, liver, heart and pancreas.Which restaurant is famous one?The two famous restaurants that serve Beijing Roast Duck are Bianyifang Roast Duck Restaurant and Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant, both of which have a history of over one hundred years. They represent two different schools of roasting duck. Bianyifang, founded in 1855, makes use of a close oven and straw as the fuel, which won't make flames go directly onto the duck. Before being put into the oven, a duck is filled with specially-made soup to make it possible to roast the duck outside and boil it inside at the same time.Quanjude, a better known one, founded in 1864, uses an oven without a door. After a kind of dressing being spread all over a duck, it will be hooked up in the oven over the flame coming directly from the burning of the fruit-tree wood and it will be done in forty minutes. When roasted and dried, the duck will look brilliantly dark red, shining with oil and with crisp skin and tender meat. Because of its appearance, few people could resist the temptation of it.The first restaurant to bear the name Quanjude opened in 1864 during the reign of the Qing Emperor Tongzhi. Due to its high standards, the restaurant's fame spread rapidly and for many years the supply of roast ducks could hardly satisfy the demand. For this reason, the restaurant was rebuilt and expanded in 1948. In 1954 a branch (known as Hongbinlou) was opened in West Chang' an Boulevard and another in Wangfujing Street in 1959. These additions, however, still did not solve the problem, and with the opening of the Quanjude at hepingmen in 1979, it was no longer necessary to make a reservation a week in advance to taste Beijing's most famous culinary delight.How to eat it?First, the chef will show you the whole duck. Then, he will slice it into about one hundred and twenty pieces with both skin and meat for each. Usually the duck is served together with special pancakes, hollowed sesame bun, green onions and sweet sauce.There is a proper way to eat it. First, pick up a slice of duck with the help of a pair of chopsticks and dip it into the soy paste. Next, lay it on the top of a thin cake and add some bars of cucumber and shallot. Finally, wrap the stuff into a bundle with the sheet cake (a thin pancake). The real secret of Peking duck's flavor lies in your carefully nibbling away at the mixture. You will find all the different ingredients very compatible. People say: "it's a pity to leave Beijing without trying the roast duck The taste of the roast duck is in the eating.Beijing duck Ingredients:One 5 to 6 pound duck8 cups water1 slice ginger1 scallion, cut into halves3 tablespoons honey1 tablespoon white vinegar1 tablespoon sherry1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 3 tablespoons waterScallions for garnishDirections:Clean duck. Wipe dry and tie string around neck.Hang duck in cool, windy place 4 hours.Fill large wok with water. Bring to boil. Add ginger, scallion, honey, vinegar, and sherry. Bring to boil. Pour in dissolved cornstarch. Stir constantly.Place duck in large strainer above larger bowl. Scoop boiling mixture all over duck for about 10 minutes.Hang duck again in cool, windy place for 6 hours until thoroughly dry.Place duck breast side up on a greased rack in oven preheated to 350 degrees. Set a pan filled with 2 inches of water in bottom of oven. (This is for drippings). Roast 30 minutes.Turn duck and roast 30 minutes more.Turn breast side up again. Roast 10 minutes more.Use sharp knife to cut off crispy skin. Serve meat and skin immediately on a prewarmed dish.The duck is eaten hot with hoisin sauce rolled in Mandarin Crepes. Garnish with scallion flowerets.(This recipe is from Madame Wong's Long-life Chinese Cookbook, reprinted courtesy of Sylvia Schulman)

Chinese Traditional Food -----Zongzi

During the Duanwu Festival, a glutinous rice pudding called zong zi is eaten to symbolize the rice offerings to Qu. Ingredients such as beans, lotus seeds（莲子）, chestnuts（栗子）, pork fat and the golden yolk of a salted duck egg are often added to the glutinous rice. The pudding is then wrapped with bamboo leaves, bound with a kind of raffia and boiled in salt water for hours.Many traditional Chinese foods are intended to honor either the gods or divine persons in history. Zong Zi - a glutinous rice dumpling wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves - is no exception. It is meant to honor Qu Yuan (340-278 BC.), the pioneer poet of ancient China.Qu Yuan was a famous poet who was also concerned about the fate of his government. Unfortunately his stature aroused the jealousy of the king, who banished him to a remote area. The poet despaired of the government and its policies. When the state's capital was captured by enemies, he committed suicide by drowning himself in the Miluo River (on May 5th according to the Chinese lunar calendar). The Chinese people felt this loss deeply, as he was a much beloved poet. Local folk searched for him in the river, meanwhile dropping dumplings of glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves into the river in order to keep the fishes from attacking Qu Yuan's body.Since that time, it has been customary on this day to enjoy Zong Zi dumplings as a memorial to the patriotic poet.In addition, there is also a festival called the Duan Wu or Dragon Boat Festival. If you ever visit China during the Dragon Boat Festival, you can't miss the nationwide custom of enjoying Zong Zi. You are sure to be impressed with the delicacy of this snack, and with the faint scent of the leaves imprinted on the skin of the dumplings.I still remember making and enjoying Zong Zi as a child. Along with my brothers and sisters I hovered around the stove, begging to have a taste, unable to wait until they were cooked. We were very eager since the food was made only once a year on May 5th. But now it is quite different. The Chinese Zong Zi is not only made for the Duan Wu Festival. It is available at any time of the year. And local areas have developed their own styles and varieties of dumpling.The main ingredient of Zong Zi is the glutinous rice. The next most important ingredient is the bamboo or reed leaves which form the wrapping and make Zong Zi distinct from other types of Chinese dumplings. The filling often contains either dates or sweetened red bean paste. These are the ones I once had in my family. I like them much more than the ones with meat but my brother doesn't. He says the meat ones are terrific.The leading place for the food is Jia Xing, an ancient town in Zhejiang province. Many different types of Zong Zi are made here. At Wu Fang Zhai, a monopolistic food processor, you'll find all the ingredients you need: the dumplings with meat, sweetened bean paste and chestnuts, lotus seeds, dates, and yolk of egg.If the materials are available to you, it is quite possible for you to make Chinese Zong Zi at home; both for pleasure and maybe also to honor the great poet, Qu Yuan. By the way, in the year 2006 the Dragon Boat Festival happens to fall on May 31st, according to the solar calendar. You'd better prepare a net for the fish.Here is a recipe for Zong Zi:(makes ten dumplings)1. 50 sheets of bamboo or reed leaves2. Glutinous rice (1 kilogram)3. Chinese dates (250 grams)Directions:1.Soak the rice and the dates 12 hours or more till they are soaked thoroughly.2.Wash the leaves.3.A chopping board is necessary for laying out the leaves.4.Fold the leaves flat at the leafstalk to make a sheet.5.Hold the sheet, fold it round in the middle and make a funnel till both ends are laid over each other in one direction.6.Use about 1/10 kg. of rice and 6 dates for each dumpling. The dates must be covered by the rice so that they won't lose too much syrup in cooking.7.Fold the leaves up to seal the open side of the funnel and tie the bundle with a band made of twisted leaves. Make sure that the bundle is tied neither too tight nor too loose. This helps make sure that the ingredients are well cooked.8.Put the dumplings in a pot, cover with water and make sure they are pressed and kept still while being boiled.9.Cooking time: 40 minutes in a pressure cooker; 2 hours in an ordinary pot.

郑州大商新玛特抽奖被指忽悠 保安当街围殴顾客（视频）

近日，有报道称郑州大商新玛特总店由于抽奖无奖品给顾客，发生保安打人事件。
据大河网5月3日报道 昨日，河南电视台法制频道报道了郑州大商新玛特总店保安打人事件。据报道，大商集团商厦五一期间搞活动，有抽奖环节，许多顾客中奖后找商家兑奖，商厦方面却无奖品给顾客。
当顾客在此要求兑现奖品时，商厦的保安当场打伤3名女顾客，记者采访时保安更是当着记者的面殴打顾客，并集合十几名保安当街追打顾客，场面令人发指。一男一女两名顾客受伤被送医院抢救。

韩国发生连锁集体自杀案 自杀手段相似

　　据韩联社报道，最近一周在韩国江原横城和旌善接连发生煤饼中毒集体自杀事件，已导致8人死亡。报道说，这些集体自杀事件不仅自杀方式和移动手段相似，就连遗书的部分内容也十分相似，因此有可能是模仿自杀。
警惕：自杀也传染
　　当地时间15日上午11时54分许，在甲川面中金里某寄宿民家中发现因煤饼烟气窒息而死的金某(26岁)和权某(33岁)等2名男性和李某(19岁)和罗某(17岁)等2名女性。此外，一同被发现的杨某(40岁)正在附近医院接受治疗，情况危殆。　　其中2名是10岁到20岁女高中生，因此社会影响力巨大。警方表示，在寄宿民家中发现他们自带的煤饼和火炉，且在每个人的口袋中发现写有“对不起家人，这是我自愿的”等内容的遗书。　　本月8日，在横城郡北平面罗田里某寄宿民家中，也发生了4名20岁到40岁男女点燃煤饼集体自杀的事件。　　警方相关人士表示：“此次发生的集体自杀事件与一周前在旌善发生的自杀事件十分相似，因此不能排除模仿的可能性。正在调查两起事件的当事人，是否通过自杀网站见面。”

警惕：自杀也传染

警惕：自杀也传染

　　英国《流行病和公共卫生杂志》曾经发表一项研究结果显示，自杀具有“传染”特点，丈夫或妻子自杀后，其配偶自杀的可能性高于常人。
　　丹麦奥胡斯大学伊斯本·阿格伯博士的这项研究表明，自杀的“传染”特点在男性身上尤为明显，配偶自杀后，男性自杀率比正常人高46倍，比有相同遭遇的女性高2倍。　　阿格伯对47.5万名丹麦人展开调查，其中90000人实施自杀。他发现，因自杀或其他原因失去子女的父母，其自杀率是正常人的2倍。
　　对于研究结果中出现的性别差异，阿格伯解释说，男性失去配偶后，通常不会像女性那样寻求外界帮助，而是把负面情绪埋在心里，他们出现精神疾病后未被发现或未得到治疗的可能性也高于女性。