Yummy duck rice is intrinsic to our Singapore culture and everybody has their own favourite street stall. There are so many varieties of this dish to choose from nowadays, but the traditional recipe calls for braised duck, shrimps and yam, and is served with plain, boiled white rice and dark soy sauce accompaniment.
History
Duck rice is a common dish throughout Asia and is particularly popular in Singapore. The rice dish originated within the Teochew culture and was based on goose meat rather than duck. As goose became more rare and difficult to source – costly, too, of course – peasants started to use duck as the main ingredient.
Teochew duck rice can also be served with tofu or boiled eggs, and the quickest – and tastiest – way to prepare the dish is to cook all your ingredients in the sauce. This dish can also be prepared with roasted duck. You’ll often see this dish written in Chinese as 鸭饭 in simplified Chinese; 鴨飯 in the traditional Chinese language; yā fàn in pinyin.
Ways to make duck rice
One traditional sauce for this recipe includes water, sugar, soy sauce, lemongrass and cinnamon, which should be boiled in a large pot or wok, prior to adding the entire small duck. There are so many wonderful side dish accompaniments that can also be quickly cooked in the hot sauce prior to serving, and they will soak up all its delicious flavouring as well.
Duck rice is a delicious treat that can be enjoyed at any time of year. Kids adore this dish, so if your child is a fussy eater, you’ll find duck rice could help encourage eating. You can experiment with different side dishes to accompany addictive duck rice and fish is always a popular solution. The best way to eat this dish is to serve it fresh and share your meal with family and the people you love most!
Top trivia
If you’re in Thailand or dining at a Thai restaurant, the dish khao na ped is rice topped with duck and follows a similar recipe!
Next time you’re craving delicious duck rice, why not skip the queues and order a delivery? Here’s our take on some of the best reasons to opt for speedy food deliveries in Singapore.
