Renowned for its crabs, Bacheng town is the home of aoya, a delicacy made from duck.
Aoya involves cooking a duck over a slow fire. "Ao" refers to cooking food over slow fire and "Ya" means duck in Chinese.
This skill has been adopted in many small towns south of the Yangtze River. However, Bacheng aoya retains a unique flavor, thanks to the traditional brine containing dozens of scented medicinal herbs.
Along the town's flagstone-paved street is the Old Street Restaurant. The restaurant maintains a vintage style from its recipes to its quaint wooden exterior, rosewood furniture and red lanterns at the entrance.
Chefs hand pick ducks from local farms to make the dish. Cinnamon, cloves and Chinese medicinal herbs are simmered with the ducks to make them tender and succulent. A fresh scent of herbs fills the mouth after a few bites.
The dish is said to be good for the stomach and liver and improves blood circulation.