The Vanishing First Duck Master of Jiangnan

It’s widely known that Beijing’s culinary culture can be summed up in two words: "particularity." As a quintessential symbol of Beijing’s traditional cuisine, Peking duck embodies an art form—and even a science—in every step: from selecting the perfect duck to preparing and serving it. But here’s something many people don’t know: the knife techniques used to slice the roasted duck are also steeped in tradition and precision. Today, we’ll dive into the fascinating art of slicing Peking duck with the right technique.

When carving the duck, start sequentially from the breast area, carefully slicing off the meat in even-sized, uniformly thin pieces that remain intact and neatly arranged—without crumbling. Ensure the bones are cleanly removed. Each roasted duck should yield between 100 and 110 slices of meat. The duck can be sliced into apricot-leaf-shaped pieces, approximately 3.5 cm long and 0.3 cm thick, or into willow-leaf-shaped slices, about 6 cm long and 0.5 cm thick. Finally, both the duck skin and meat should be presented on the plate according to a standardized arrangement. Overall, there are four main methods for slicing the duck.

"One Duck, Three Platters: Slice the duck breast skin-side down, then carefully cut into delicate, apricot-leaf-shaped pieces and arrange on a platter. Next, trim the duck breast into slender, willow-leaf-like strips—complete with both skin and meat—and present them on another platter. Finally, slice the duck leg meat—including both skin and flesh—into thin, even pieces and place them neatly on a third platter. Lastly, arrange the duck head, duck tail, and tenderloin separately for a final touch."

Sliced Pieces: Remove the skin from the duck breast, then slice it into strips and arrange on a platter. Similarly, slice both the duck breast and leg meat—keeping the skin intact—into strips, dividing them evenly between two plates. Finally, place the duck head, tail, and tenderloin onto separate platters.

Slices: Carefully slice the duck breast skin off, then cut it into thin pieces and arrange them on a platter. Next, slice the remaining parts of the duck—both skin and meat—into even thinner pieces and arrange them neatly on two separate platters. Finally, place the duck head, duck tail, and tenderloin meat onto individual serving plates.

Skin-and-Meat Slicing: First slice the skin from the roast duck, then separate the meat. Arrange the skin and meat on separate plates, and place the duck head, duck tail, and tenderloin on another plate.

Slicing and plating a roast duck must be completed within 6 minutes to ensure the meat remains tender and flavorful, while the skin stays delightfully crispy.

​ It is said that Emperor Qianlong loved roast duck the most. Once, while traveling south of the Yangtze River, he heard about a chef who proudly claimed to be "the Number One Duck Slicer in Jiangnan"—a master whose skillful hands could carve the perfect slice of duck. There were exactly 108 duck slices—no more, no less—each perfectly uniform in size and thickness, ensuring that every bite offered the same delightful, consistent texture. Emperor Qianlong thought to himself, "If someone bears this title, their skills must surely be extraordinary." So he ordered a royal guard to summon the chef, eager to witness firsthand the masterful artistry of this culinary expert.

After the chef arrived, he pulled out a bone-china knife—smooth and translucent white, utterly extraordinary. To describe it in two words: broad blade, thick spine, yet razor-sharp and impossibly thin—killing without leaving a trace of blood or violence. Its surface shimmered with delicate purples and deep blues, glowing like rays of dawn breaking through clouds, radiating divine beauty and auspicious energy. Considering the craftsmanship of the time, this knife was truly priceless.

The roast duck was served, and with each precise cut of the chef’s knife—like rain falling—the bird was swiftly reduced to nothing but its bare frame. The ministers silently applauded in their hearts.

In an instant, everyone present broke into a cold sweat for the chef!

This sliced duck meat isn’t even consistent in size, let alone thickness—yet this guy still dares to call himself the No. 1 duck-slicing master in Jiangnan! Honestly, it’s one thing on a regular day, but at a time like this? That’s nothing short of treason—enough to cost him his head!

Sure enough, Emperor Qianlong's expression instantly changed. "Bring someone—push him down and behead him!"

At this moment, the chef remained completely unfazed, calmly replying, "Your Majesty, you may execute me—but might I be allowed to say one more thing?"

Qianlong agreed, but as the chef glanced around, he shouted loudly: "Bring out the scales and weigh each slice—let’s see if they really do weigh exactly 2 qian, 5 hao, and 4 li!"

Qianlong was astonished—how could anyone possess such exceptional knife skills, precisely slicing each uniquely shaped piece of duck meat down to the tiniest detail!

Half a cup of tea later, the guard hurried in with a scale, carefully weighing each slice of duck meat.

The more one measures, the more shocked and amazed one becomes.

None of them are that heavy.

And look at the chef—he damn well took advantage of the chaos to bolt already...