Duck seasoned with soy sauce is a traditional dish in Zhejiang and an essential course on the table of New Year’s Dinner. In the old days, every family would begin seasoning ducks after midwinter.

The process of seasoning a duck is complex. First, a slaughtered duck should be cleaned thoroughly and have all the giblets, gullets and air tubes removed. After being drained of water, the duck is immersed in a tank of soy sauce and pressed with and stones. The tank is stored in a place at a low temperature for 24 hours. Then turn duck over in the tank and repeated the previous step. Next the duck is taken out and propped up with small bamboo frames. The duck basks in the winter sun for several days until the meat is tight and then hung up in a dry ventilated place.

For the duck to turn into a delicious meal, it is cleaned and cut into small pieces. Next it is sprayed with some white wine and put into a pot of boiling water and steamed for 20 minutes. The special odor of soy sauce-seasoned duck will fill the kitchen and make you mouth water.

(Executive Editor: Yongliu HE)