🍽️ Sweet-Skin Duck

Crispy duck glazed with sugar, sweet-savory.

Sweet-Skin Duck is a famous braised-snack of Leshan, Sichuan, also known locally as “braised duck”. The duck is first simmered in master stock until coloured and flavoured, briefly fried to tighten the skin, then brushed while hot with a syrup of maltose or sugar. The skin turns glossy deep brown, crisp and sweet, while the meat underneath is tender and savoury, a balance of sugar and salt. It is chopped into small pieces to order; biting through, you first meet the crackling sweet glaze, then the salty, five-spiced duck beneath. A signature of Leshan's braised-meat shops, it is commonly bought as a souvenir and pairs well with plain congee or as a drinking snack.