The meat is often eaten with spring onion, cucumber, and sweet bean sauce, with pancakes rolled around the fillings.

[7] By the Qianlong period (1736–1796) of the Qing dynasty, the popularity of Peking duck spread to the upper classes, inspiring some poets and scholars who enjoyed the dish.

For instance, one verse of "Dūmén zhúzhīcí", a local Beijing poem, was "Fill your plates with roast duck and suckling pig".

[citation needed] By the mid-20th century, Peking duck had become a national symbol of China, favored by tourists and diplomats alike.

After a round of inconclusive talks in the morning, the delegation was served Peking duck for lunch, which became Kissinger's favourite.

The Americans and Chinese issued a joint statement the following day, inviting President Richard Nixon to visit China in 1972.

[10][11] Peking duck, at the Quanjude in particular, has also been a favorite dish for various political leaders ranging from Cuban Fidel Castro to former German chancellor Helmut Kohl.

[21][22] A second layer of glaze/marinade of soy sauce, five-spice powder, and more maltose is then applied inside and out, and the duck is left to stand for 24 hours in a cool, dry place (or a refrigerator).

[24] Besides two traditional methods to prepare Peking duck, recipes have been compiled by chefs all around the world to produce the dish at home.

The closed oven is built of brick and fitted with metal griddles (Chinese: 箅子; pinyin: bì zi).

The oven is preheated by burning Gaoliang sorghum straw (Chinese: 秫秸; pinyin: shú jiē) at the base.

It is designed to roast up to 20 ducks at the same time with an open fire fueled by hardwood from peach or pear trees.

The carved duck can also be chopped and stir-fried in sweet bean sauce, or rapidly sautéed and served with salt and pepper (椒鹽).

The stove method involves submerging the duck in boiling water before placing it on a griddle 70 cm (28 in) above the cooking fire.

Examples include Quanjude, Bianyifang, Changan Yihao (長安一號), Dayali, Beijing Xiaowangfu (北京小王府) and Dadong Kaoyadian (大董烤鴨店).

The duck is marinated with spices and deep-fried, served together with stir-fried vegetables (Wokgemüse) over fried noodles or with rice.

Diners usually wrap slices of duck meat in pancakes, and add sweet bean sauce, green onions, cucumber strips and other ingredients to make it a unified meal.