Nanjing's "Duck" and "Fried Chicken" (Part 2)
Salted duck is a famous specialty of Nanjing, with a long history of over a thousand years. This duck features white skin and tender meat, rich but not greasy, fragrant and delicious, with the qualities of being aromatic, crispy, and tender. The best time for salted duck is around the Mid-Autumn Festival each year, because the ducks are prepared when the osmanthus flowers are in full bloom, hence the beautiful name: Osmanthus Duck. The "White Gate Cookbook" records: "In the eighth month of the lunar calendar in Jinling, salted duck is most famous; everyone thinks the meat carries the fragrance of osmanthus flowers." Osmanthus Duck is "light yet flavorful, and one never tires of eating it," making it a perfect companion for drinks. During festivals or when guests visit on ordinary days, going out to buy a bowl of salted duck seems to have become a customary etiquette in Nanjing.
Nowadays, salted duck has evolved into a variety of dishes where one duck can be enjoyed in many ways. There are fresh varieties of salted duck, and also roast duck. Duck gizzards, duck kidneys, duck livers, and duck hearts are known as the "four delicacies." Salted duck gizzard is savory and chewy, becoming more flavorful the longer you chew; stir-fried duck kidney is extraordinarily tender and fresh; braised duck webs have a unique taste; duck hearts, duck blood, and other parts can all be made into delicious dishes.
In addition to the above-mentioned ways of eating duck, Nanjing also has a famous snack: "duck blood and vermicelli soup." On the streets of Nanjing, there are many shops selling this soup. Personally, I feel the taste doesn't vary much from one to another, just slight differences in the intensity of flavor.
It's hard to say which one is better or worse; as long as it suits your taste, it's the best. If you come to Nanjing and don't try a bowl of duck blood soup, you can't claim to have truly experienced the essence of this ancient city. Nowadays, Nanjing's duck blood soup has become an industry. Brands like "Jinyuan" and "Huiwei" you see on the market all started as family-run small shops. They have been passed down through several generations in Nanjing's traditional snack culture, and like salted duck, they have become iconic calling cards of Nanjing.
After leaving Mochou Lake, continue riding bus No. 41 for three stops (about 10 minutes) and get off at Yanhe Village Station. Fifty meters ahead from the station, the sign of "Minji Fried Chicken" will prominently catch your eye.
You'll likely notice the long queue on the sidewalk before you see the shop sign. These are all "fans" flocking to Minji Fried Chicken. That's right! This is an internet-famous fried chicken joint, and its fans range from toddlers of two or three years old to elderly folks in their eighties.
When you mention fried chicken, the first thing that comes to mind is the international brand KFC. But if a KFC were actually opened right next door at this moment, it would likely be deserted and doing very little business. As far as I can remember, KFC has never imposed purchase limits, whereas this little shop enforces a purchase limit after 10 a.m. every day, with a maximum of 12 pieces per person per purchase.
Somehow, the people of Nanjing have shifted their enthusiasm for Western fast food to an unassuming street-side fried chicken shop. Surely "Minji Fried Chicken" must have something uniquely special about it. What does it taste like? You'll just have to try it to find out! So I joined the ranks of the queue. Under the scorching sun, I waited for forty minutes. Finally, I got my hands on four steaming hot chicken legs. Fresh out of the fryer, the drumsticks were golden and crispy, with a lifelike scale-like coating. They come in two flavors: spicy and non-spicy. I bought two original and two spicy. Unable to wait, I squatted by the roadside, gingerly picking up a still-scalding drumstick. First, I sniffed it—sure enough, the hot, spicy aroma of fried food wafted up. I took a gentle bite, and an indescribable, beyond-imagined pleasure surged from my tongue—crispy! Fragrant and tender! The drumstick was fried thoroughly while still retaining its inner juices. With a light bite, the coating on the surface seemed to peel off like a shell, revealing the fresh and tender chicken meat. The chicken, marinated with a special secret recipe, released an irresistible aroma that continuously spread from the inside out with the steam, enticing you to take a second bite... Wow! Words fail to describe the sensation. I finally understood how this humble street-side fried chicken shop can compete with the drumsticks of international fast food chains and hold an unignorable place in the ancient city of Nanjing...... (To be continued...)
