Eight-Treasure Duck
A whole duck stuffed with seasoned glutinous rice and mixed ingredients, then steamed until tender.
How to eat it
Expect bones beneath the softened duck and eat from a small serving on your own plate rather than cutting blindly into the whole bird.
The story behind the dish
The duck is left largely whole, filled with glutinous rice and a mixture whose ingredients vary by kitchen. “Eight treasures” signals variety and abundance rather than a legally fixed recipe. Shanghai banquet cooking turned the stuffed bird into a centrepiece that could feed several people while combining meat, rice and preserved ingredients in one dish.
For reference
Every kitchen does it its own way. What follows is the typical version — ingredients, heat and price shift from city to city and from one restaurant to the next, so take it as a guide rather than a fixed recipe.