Bacheng duck dish

Renowned for its crabs, Bacheng town is the home of aoya, a delicacy made from duck.

Aoya involves cooking a duck over a slow fire. Ya means duck in Chinese and ao refers to a cooking technique of cooking food over slow fire.

This culinary skill has been adopted in many small towns south of the Yangtze River. However, Bacheng aoya retains a unique flavor, thanks to the use of traditional brine containing dozens of scented medicinal herbs.

Along the town's flagstone-paved old street is the Old Street Boite (老街酒楼) restaurant. The restaurant maintains a vintage style from its recipes to its quaint wooden exterior, rosewood furniture and red lanterns at the entrance.

Chefs at Old Street Boite hand pick ducks from local farms to make their aoya dishes. Cinnamon, cloves and Chinese medicinal herbs are simmered with the ducks to make them tender and succulent when served. A fresh scent of herbs fills the mouth after a few bites.

The dish is said to be beneficial for the stomach and liver and help improve blood circulation.

By Liu Sitong and edited by Jacob Hooson