Peking duck a hit at the Beijing Games
Posted: 15 August 2008 1236 hrs

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BEIJING : Peking roast duck seems to be a star at the Beijing Olympics, with the traditional dish reportedly being the most popular served at the athletes' village.

When asked if he had tried the famous dish, the coach of Dutch rowing team, David McGowan, said: "Yeah, every day. I think I had it for breakfast the other day. It's good."

The official caterer at the Olympic village, Aramak, a US food and general services company, even hired specialist chefs from Quanjude, one of Beijing's oldest roast duck restaurants to provide authentic Peking duck.

Quanjude roast duck restaurant first opened over a hundred years ago. It has now expanded into a chain of outlets, and Games tourists can enjoy the dish at these outlets.

At the newest Quanjude branch in Beijing, diners can view the process of how the ducks are sliced and served, as chefs wheel whole roast ducks to their tables.

The traditional way of eating the dish is to wrap slices of duck flesh and crispy skin in a small pancake, together with a sweetish plum sauce and slivers of spring onion.

One Australian newspaper has even speculated that Peking duck helped swimmer Libby Trickett win her gold medal, quoting Trickett's husband Luke as saying she had been eating the dish for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

– CNA/yt