Peking duck = bacon

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This realization dawned on me and stuck: Peking duck is the bacon of China. Crispy, salty, fatty and altogether rich and heavenly, this is the bird equivalent of a very porky Midwestern delight. It's reminiscent of proscuitto from Italy, jamon serrano from Spain, chicharron in Mexico, salo in Russia. Basically every culture has its version of guilty meaty pleasure. In China, it's Peking duck.

My host family, the Drs. Meng and son, took me to a restaurant across from the hospital last night to show me this delight. After a few appetizers, the staff first brought out the best part of the crispy, airy duck skin, still sizzling in the heat of its roasting fat, which we all took pieces of as it arrived at the table. Next came the entire duck that was carved table side and placed in the center for us to wrap in side of delicate thin crepes alongside scallions in duck sauce. I've been thinking about it ever since.

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