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In cooking and gastronomy,duck orduckling is the meat of several species of bird in the familyAnatidae, found in bothfresh andsalt water. Duck is eaten in manycuisines around the world. It is a high-fat, high-protein meat rich iniron. Duckling nominally comes from a juvenile animal, but may be simply amenu name.
One species of freshwaterduck, themallard, has beendomesticated; thedomesticated duck is a common livestock bird in a variety of cultures. ThePekin duck is another livestock breed of importance, particularly inNorth America.Magret refers specifically to the breast of amoulard orMuscovy (or Barbary) duck that has been force-fed to producefoie gras.[1]
Duck is particularly predominant in the Chinese cuisine—a popular dish isPeking duck. Duck meat is commonly eaten with scallions, cucumbers and hoisin sauce wrapped in a smallspring pancake made of flour and water or a soft, risen bun known asgua bao. InCantonese cuisine, the roasted duck orsiu aap (燒鴨) is produced bysiu meibarbecue shops; siu aap is offered whole or in halves, and commonly as part of take-out with steamed white rice and vegetables. Siu aap can also be served as part of the barbecue platter appetizer (the first of a ten-course Chinese banquet meal) in combination withchar siu (roasted pork),soy sauce chicken,yu chu (roasted suckling pig) orsiu yuk (roasted pig belly), and jellyfish.
Duck meat is also a part ofIndian cuisine, especially important inNortheast India,[2] such as in theAssamese cuisine.[3][4] The old Assamese textKamarupa Yatra discusses duck meat,squab andtortoise meat. Popular dishes include duck withwhite gourd, duck withlaixak and duck withbamboo shoots.[5] Duck meat and squab are also cooked withbanana blossoms.[6] It is popular among both the tribal[7][8] and non-tribal populations.
The Pekin duck is the most common duck meat consumed in theUnited States, and according to theUSDA, about 39 million ducks are raised each year for meat.[9] Because most commercially raised Pekins come fromLong Island,New York, Pekins are also sometimes called "Long Island" ducks, despite being of Chinese origin. Some specialty breeds have become more popular in recent years, notably theMuscovy duck and themulard duck (asterile hybrid of Pekins and Muscovies).[10] Unlike most otherdomesticated ducks, Muscovy ducks are not descended frommallards.
Duck meat is very high incholesterol andfat, particularlysaturated fat. It is also very high inprotein andiron.[11]
Duck is used in a variety of dishes around the world, most of which involve roasting for at least part of the cooking process to aid in crisping the skin. Some dishes use parts of the duck as an ingredient along with other ingredients. Notable duck dishes include:
An article inThe New York Times in 1981 reported that ducks caught in the wild may be contaminated from pollution of rivers and other bodies of water, because they eat fish and other aquatic life. In particular,PCBs may pose a health risk for those who eat wild duck frequently.[15]
In February 2025, theScience of the Total Environment published a study of 108 unique specimens of waterfowl captured in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut, between October 2021 and February 2022. This study, which includedblack ducks,wood ducks,green-winged teals, andCanada geese, discovered that consuming the breast tissue of waterfowl from the NortheastAtlantic Flyway once a year (over a lifetime) likely exposes the consumer to a cancer risk abovede minimis.[16] The study reports, "Regardless of species, all samples contained detectable levels of PCBs and at least oneOCP andPFAS. Mercury and OCPs posed limited non-cancer risks to human consumers who follow current waterfowl consumption advisories."[17]
In September 2025, the state of Wisconsin warned against consuming mallard from lowerGreen Bay and to limit consuming mallard and wood ducks from the rest of the bay due to PFAS concerns.[18]
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