Peking duck, mushi or mantou?

[Kent Wang]

All the Peking duck I've had in China has been served with mushi (flour pancake) but there are several restaurants in America that serve it with mantou. I'm told that this is common in parts of China as well, though I don't know which regions. Is mushi more authentic?

I prefer mushi as it's less filling -- which translates into more duck!

[yimay]

i've read/heard people say the pancake is more traditional. but i'm not sure where they got that information.

i prefer... both!

[hzrt8w]

My neighborhood restaurant serves both at the same time with Peking Ducks.

[annachan]

I've never had mantou with duck until I came to the US - from Hong Kong. I agree, I like both!

[warlockdilemma]

I think Mantou with Peking Duck must be a Northern China thing where they serve Mantou with everything.Personally I have had Duck with Mantou only once and it kind of never gelled with me.It has to be the pancake with hoisin sauce and green onions,the only way for me.

[Kent Wang]

A problem I find with mantou is that it is not as absorbent as the pancakes so the duck fat just rolls off of it and onto your hands.

[AzianBrewer]

A problem I find with mantou is that it is not as absorbent as the pancakes so the duck fat just rolls off of it and onto your hands.

←

I like them both but sandwiched in a mantou is more common in the NYC Chinatown.

[Fengyi]

I was always brought up with pancake (bao bing) with Peking roast duck and mantou with xiangsu ya (fragrent crispy duck).

Maybe because of the differing grease levels that Kent mentioned?!?!

hhmmmm.....xiangsu ya.....need to make some NOW!

[ulterior epicure]

I prefer mushi as it's less filling -- which translates into more duck!

Kent - I'm with you on that!!

I've had it both ways and much prefer the mushi. The thick spongy mantou gets in the way of enjoying the crispy crackling skin. The mushi, on the otherhand, allows for a quick snap through the whole deal.

... and yes, as Kent pointed out, you can eat more duck with mushi than with mantou, which is another selling point for mushi.

[Makan King]

I think Mantou  with Peking Duck must be a Northern China thing where they serve Mantou with everything.Personally I have had Duck with Mantou only once and it kind of never gelled with me.It has to be the pancake with hoisin sauce and green onions,the only way for me.

←

I dunno. I don't recall having had mantou with peking duck in Beijing. It's always pancakes for me!

[canucklehead]

I have also never seen the mantou thing except in the US. The pancake is clearly superior for reasons already discussed.

In fact - it took me forever to find a local pancake provider in Vancouver so that we could have peking duck at home. One duck per person is about right...

[Jon Tseng]

In my experience peking duck always served with pancakes, but sichuan tea-smoked duck is often served with little coin-sized mantou

J